When Fear Seized The Church - [Acts 5:1-14]

It was about three years ago when I was with a pastor friend of mine, he was visiting from New Jersey.

Actually, I got to know him through my wife. She was good friends with his wife when we lived back in New York.

And they came to visit us here in Massachusetts about three years ago with their daughter.

We had a great time, their daughter with our two daughters at the time. And we were kind of just talking about being in the pastorate.

And we happened to touch on the topic of church discipline. And I share with him an incident in our church that had occurred and the person unfortunately was not repentant of their sin.

And he told me he had two incidents in his own church where he was pastoring in New Jersey. Fortunately, one of the people was repentant, but one of the others was not.

There was a local church about a mile and a half down from where my friend was pastoring. And when they found out what had happened with the whole church discipline thing of the person who was not repentant, the next week on their sign was, if other churches do not welcome you, we will.

If we look at the state of the evangelical church today as it stands next to the state of the first century church, we will see a stark contrast.

For example, the 21st century church is filled with fun. The first century church was filled with fear.

The 21st century church has clowns entertaining goats while the first century church has had shepherds feeding the sheep.

The 21st century church is user friendly and secret sensitive while the first century church was

God fearing and sin sensitive. The 21st century church preaches a watered down gospel because it doesn't want to offend anyone while the first century church preached the pure gospel.

Why? Simply because it is the power of God for salvation. And the 21st century church is filled with anemic preaching whose focus is man centered self fulfillment and self esteem.

While the first century church was filled with powerful preaching whose focus was genuine

Jesus Christ, him crucified and self denial.

If you will turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 5. The book of Acts chapter 5 verses 1 through 14.

This is one of the most riveting passages in the New Testament. So much so as it has done with me, not just this time around but when

I preach it back at our old church that I was pastoring. When you come to grasp the message of this passage it will send a spiritual shockwave through you that you will never recover from.

Acts chapter 5 verses 1 to 14. But a man named

Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles feet.

But Peter said Ananias why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

While it remained unsold did it not remain your own? And after it was sold was it not at your disposal?

Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.

When Ananias heard these words he fell down and breathed his last and great fear came upon all who heard of it.

The young man rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in not knowing what had happened and Peter said to her tell me whether you sold the land for so much?

And she said yes for so much. But Peter said to her how is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the

Lord? Behold the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out.

Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young man came in they found her dead and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles and they were all together in Solomon's portico.

None of the rest dared join them but the people held them in high esteem.

And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.

Before we take a nose dive into this chapter together you need to understand the background of the book of Acts where this is placed in the book of Acts.

If you turn with me to chapter one of the book just a few pages before verse one the very first sentence of the book.

Chapter one verse one. We know that Dr.

Luke is writing the Greek as he wrote the third gospel as he's writing to Theophilus in the gospel of Luke and here in Acts.

But notice what he says in opening this book. In the first book O Theophilus I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.

Began to do and teach. Wait a second. I thought

Jesus was done. He was completed the work that he came to do. He said in John 17 in his high priestly prayer.

He went to the cross for atonement for sin. He rose from the dead. He ascended to the right hand of the Father. Well Luke is saying and excuse my

English it ain't over yet. It's not over yet. In the first book the gospel of Luke Luke says

Theophilus I dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. In other words what I'm writing now in this book a continuation of what

Jesus continues to do and teach how well the book is known as the book of Acts commonly referred to as the

Acts of the Apostles better to be known as the

Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles the Acts of the

Holy Spirit through the Apostles in the book of Acts as we'll see here in our specific text but overall in the book of Acts the third member of the triune

God plays a much more prominent role than ever before now does that mean that he was not active at all before absolutely not in the

Old Testament he would come commonly upon men and he would come upon people to empower them for service but it was temporary he would come upon them and leave it wasn't permanent while you have your finger in Acts turn with me to the gospel of John just to highlight to you this aspect of the ministry of the

Holy Spirit John chapter 7 we're just going to look at a couple of passes in John just to set the background for Acts chapter 5 in the work of the

Holy Spirit John chapter 7 verses 38 and 39 Jesus speaking he says whoever believes in me as a scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of living water now this he said about whom the

Spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as yet the

Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified turn with me to chapter 14 of John we're going to look at a couple of passages in the upper room discourse as he's preparing the disciples for his departure from this world what does he teach them about the

Holy Spirit John chapter 14 verses 16 and 17 and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper paraclete to be with you forever even the

Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you notice there what

Jesus says to them in verse 16 that the helper who he will send will be with them forever and then in verse 17 he highlights that he is with you but then he will be in you a couple of chapters following John chapter 16 still in the upper room discourse

John chapter 16 verse 7 concerning the ministry of the

Holy Spirit Jesus says nevertheless I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away why for if I do not go away the helper will not come to you but if I go

I will send him to you so that hadn't happened till acts when as we know in Pentecost the disciples had the baptism of the

Holy Spirit and if you were turned back to acts chapter 1 we see in verse 8 kind of an outline of the entire book that Luke sets out for us acts chapter 1 verse 8 the words of Jesus his interaction with the disciples before he departs from them he says there to them but you will receive power when the

Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all

Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth that verse simply serves as an outline for the entire book of Acts so we understand where acts 5 what we're studying tonight is found in you'll be my witnesses where in Jerusalem chapters 1 through 7 of acts is the witness in Jerusalem and then you'll be my witnesses

Christ says in verse 8 here through Judea and Samaria that's chapters 8 through 12 and then to the ends of the earth chapters 13 to the end of the book highlighted by Paul's missionary journeys so in Acts chapter 5 in our text we find ourselves in a local church in Jerusalem we're still at the beginning stages of the church and then acts 1 4

Jesus specifically told the disciples while staying with him he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait from the promise of the

Father and in Acts chapter 8 verse 1 there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem so here in Acts chapter 5 we're focused on the local body in Jerusalem of course we haven't gotten to the rest of acts where the gospel spreads to the

Gentiles which is a great transition in the book of Acts but here we see in the book of Acts the local church in Jerusalem and in the book of Acts the prominent role that the third member of the

Trinity is playing the Holy Spirit our text begins with a very simple word verse 1 of chapter 5 but that's significant for two reasons it focuses it focuses us on the context of the grammatical passage here the verses that come previously in chapter 4 to help us understand what was the historical context of the church at that time what was going on in the life of the church at Jerusalem and also it's a significant word because it's setting up a contrast between a man by the name of Barnabas who was a spiritual example versus the sinful example that we read about in Ananias and his wife

Sapphira now to highlight kind of the truths of this passage that God wants us to see

I will give you five points as we walk through this with you together the first one is this number one fellowship in the church is demonstrated fellowship in the church is demonstrated look with me in chapter 4 verses 32 to 35 now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul and no one said that any of the things that belong to him was his own but they had everything in common and with great power the

Apostles were given their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all there was not a needy person among them for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the

Apostles feet and it was distributed to each as any had need notice everything they had was in common that's a

Greek word koinonia or as I would say keenonia it comes from the word that means to have in common that's what true biblical fellowship is about when the day came that BBC was going to turn to services and I thought oh my goodness no more doughnuts what's the hell gonna happen to our fellowship doughnuts are great and we appreciate that but genuine biblical fellowship is to have all things in common this was characteristic of the church in Jerusalem from the day of Pentecost in Acts 2

Luke said and all who believe were together and had all things in common keenonia and they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need this was the norm in the first church this was the pattern this was the normal practice of what was going on in the church and to highlight this practice

Luke brings forth a man by the name of Barnabas he is setting us up here later on for the ministry of Paul because as we know

Barnabas in a sense was Paul's Paul he was Paul's mentor and brought him into the church when nobody else believed that God had transformed him but it says of Barnabas in verses 36 of chapter 4 thus

Joseph who was also called by the Apostles Barnabas which means son of encouragement a

Levite a native of Cyprus sold the field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the

Apostles feet he did what was the normal practice they sold brought the proceeds and laid it where at the

Apostles feet Barnabas did that this was the fellowship in the church that was demonstrated however number two the fellowship of the church is threatened the fellowship of the church is threatened

I want to show you an interesting interplay here that Luke highlights for us here in chapter 5 as we read the fellowship is threatened from within from within the church but throughout these chapters 4 5 & 6 the church is threatened from outside from without and from within from without and from within this constant threats to the new church in Jerusalem let me take you a little bit before that in chapter 3

Peter there was a yeah there was a man who was lame and was always begging for alms the people knew him because he was doing this regularly and when

Peter came by and he begged Peter for alms he says silver and gold I do not have Peter said but what I do have

I give to you in the name of Jesus rise and walk people were amazed and astonished because they knew this man who had been begging for alms all this time and God had cured him and Peter gave the credit to God not to himself and he told them you killed the author of life whom

God raised from the dead to this we are witnesses repent therefore and turn back that your sins may be blotted out so as they were preaching the resurrection and repentance the leaders the religious leaders were annoyed the text says and they arrested them put them into custody and they told them basically they charged him not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus but Peter and John answered them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God you must judge for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard threats from without don't teach in the name of Jesus we don't want to hear proclamation about the resurrection and then we have threats within in Acts chapter 5 but the aftermath of Acts chapter 5 we have threats from without the high priest it says later in chapter 5 was filled with jealousy so he put the

Apostles in prison but an angel of the Lord comes freezing from prison and says go to the temple and preach

Jesus so in obedience they go and do that and they were so upset the religious leaders they said we strictly charged you not to preach in the name of Jesus and you have filled

Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to put this man's blood upon us Jesus Peter and the

Apostles answered what we must obey God rather than men the text says

Luke writes when they the religious leaders heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them but God in the sovereignty provided a

Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel a teacher of the law who was respected among the people he asked the

Apostles to leave and as he talked to them he said to the leaders listen if this is a man it will fail but if it is of God you will not be able to overthrow them and you will actually find yourself fighting and opposing

God so they listened to him but before they let the Apostles go they beat them and after they beat them the

Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus more threats from within in chapter 6 in those days the disciples were increasing a number a claim a complaint by the

Hellenists those were the Greek speaking Jews are those Greek speaking people always cause trouble the

Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution and you might be familiar with the result the

Apostle said we can't neglect the ministry of the word to serve tables let us select seven men one of them being

Stephen the first martyr and he said we will give our attention to prayer into the ministry of the word so we see here in these chapters the church early on in his life is threatened from persecution from without from complaints from within from sin from within as we see here in chapter 5 well what exactly was this sin that threatened this church this fellowship well notice what

Peter says in verses 3 and 4 to Ananias Peter said

Ananias why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land while it remained unsold did it not remain your own and after it was sold was it not at your disposal in other words and Ananias could have decided not to sell the land to give the proceeds that was his decision to make or if he decided to sell it it was at his disposal to decide how much to give that wasn't the sin in of itself because leaving later on Peter said to his wife how is it that you agreed to test the

Spirit of the Lord verse 8 tell me whether you sold the land for so much and actually in Ananias did follow the practice of the early church where did he bring the proceeds to the

Apostles feet so what was his sin well Peter says it was lying to the

Holy Spirit specifically what lying in how much they were giving to the church how much were they giving to the church why has

Satan filled your heart to lie to the Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land he could have kept them back if he wanted to but he must have made perhaps some kind of commitment it might have been public maybe not just within his heart that he was going to give the full proceeds but he didn't what was the sin characterized by was characterized by hypocrisy he brought it to the

Apostles feet in a pretense that he was doing what everybody else was doing as a practice of the church it reminds us of the words of Jesus Christ what our hypocrites on the outside we want to appear a certain way as in a nice might have wanted to appear in the giving of the proceeds but inwardly there was something else going on Jesus said it in Matthew 23 woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for your alike whitewash tombs which outwardly appear beautiful but within a full of dead people's bones in all uncleanness so you also outwardly appear righteous to others but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness the sin was not only characterized by hypocrisy it was characterized by greed he had more than likely made a commitment that's what was revealed to him to Peter and that he kept back part of the proceeds and he had maybe out of greed kept back that for himself which he had committed to the

Lord there was also deception involved in the sin because he told his wife Peter did how is it that you verse 9 have agreed together with your husband of course to test the

Spirit of the Lord there was a testing of the Holy Spirit lying to the

Holy Spirit the prominent member of the triune God here in Acts and testing the Holy Spirit they were presuming on the goodness of God they were presuming on his forbearance thus the sin was ultimately against the

Holy Spirit and notice the threat of this sin originates in the heart as all sin does verse 3 why has

Satan filled your heart to lie verse 4 why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart and Ananias didn't do what the proverb says proverbs 423 watch over your heart with all diligence and that is why

Jesus made this stark statement for out of the heart come evil thoughts murder adultery sexual immorality theft false witness and slander but Satan was involved in this threat because he was the one who filled his heart as Peter said

I wonder as Peter was saying that to him if Peter was recalling the words of his Lord as he was telling to Ananias did

Peter remember in Luke 22 when the Lord said to Peter Simon Simon behold

Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail

I wonder if when Peter was confronting Ananias about the role of Satan and filling his heart if Peter was mindful of what the

Lord had told him and finally concerning this threat that came within the church notice what he says in verse 4 you have not lied to whom to man but to God you have not lied to man but to God reminds us of a couple of Old Testament characters

David for example did he not sin against Bathsheba did he not sin against Uriah yet in his psalm of repentance in Psalm 51 he says against you you only have

I sinned and done what is evil in your sight it reminds us of Moses for example it says in Exodus 16 the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness for what are we that you grumble against us and Moses said when the

Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him what are we your grumbling is not against us but against the

Lord just as we see here in Acts 5 Peter made it very clear that his sin was not against man it was against God though the fellowship of the church was threatened we see number three here the fellowship of the church is preserved the fellowship of the church is preserved despite the threat how is it preserved through divine intervention in almost a way that we talk about our soteriology that without God's divine intervention we would be completely lost think of passages like Ephesians 4

Ephesians 2 how we were dead in our trespasses and sins walking according to the ways of this world objects and children of wrath but God divine intervention who is rich in mercy because of his great love for us made us alive we see here divine intervention

God intervening to preserve the fellowship of this new church the first church in Jerusalem through divine discipline notice in the text that we read neither in an

Ananias nor Sapphira even had a chance to respond when

Peter told Ananias verse 5 Luke records when at that moment in time when

Ananias heard these words he fell down and breathed his last and when his wife in she hadn't heard about her husband's death three hours later verse 10 immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last

I find it ironic that the story begins at the Apostles feet and ends at the

Apostles feet the practice of the early church of the genuine biblical fellowship having all things in common was to bring the proceeds of what they sold to the

Apostles feet and these two husband and wife who contrived this deed in their heart and lied and tested the

Holy Spirit she fell where at the Apostles feet legitimate question to ask

Jesus had taught the disciples in Matthew 18 concerning church discipline why wasn't that followed here

Jesus had told him if your brother sins against you correct go in private tell him his fault if you win if he repents and listens you've won him over if not bring two or three others if not take it to the church and if they still don't repent consider them as a tax collector and it was

Peter who was intently listening to those instructions of our Lord because he said at the end of that when

Jesus said if your brother sins against you Peter said how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him how often well why wasn't it done in that manner why was it such a direct divine intervention and divine discipline well a couple of reasons that come out from the text as Luke highlights first of all this was sin against the

Holy Spirit true every sin is first and foremost against God even when we sin against others but Peter was highlighting here to Ananias said he had not lied to man but he had lied to God to the

Holy Spirit whereas in Matthew 18 Jesus had told the disciples if your brother sins in the original text of Matthew 18 by the way it doesn't say if your brother sins against you it just says if your brother sins but we know that's what

Jesus was talking about because that's what Peter understood when Peter said in the text how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him this sin wasn't in a way directly against a brother though it affected the fellowship because it affected the proceeds that were brought for the needs of the local church there in Jerusalem but it was first and foremost against the

Holy Spirit second of all it was a sin of the heart now wait a moment aren't all sins contrived in the heart yes but this was not something that seemed to be publicly known according to the text it was something that was revealed to the

Apostles to Peter it was a sin of the heart somebody else might be seeing this and with the hypocrisy that Ananias and his wife were portraying they might say they brought the proceeds of what they sold but Peter knew that he had lied to the

Holy Spirit also this was also early part of the foundation of the church this was the apostolic era

Ephesians 2 20 tells that the church was built on the foundation of the Apostles Christ being the cornerstone and finally

I believe because it was early on in the life of the church as we see the birth of the church in Acts 2 God was trying to set a precedence a precedence an example for how he wanted his church his body to function so he preserves the fellowship despite his threat number four after the fellowship of the church is preserved number four the fellowship of the church is strengthened the fellowship of the church is strengthened how so verse 11 great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things this is when fear sees the church notice it was just not fear it was a great fear phobos it was the whole church not just some of the church this is the first time the

Greek term for church is mentioned here in the book of Acts in the New Testament Ecclesia this is when the church is strengthened because a church without the fear of God is a weak church a church that does not have the fear of God is a weak church a

Christian without the fear of God is a weak one so a church after all the writer of Hebrew says in 1229 our

God is what a consuming fire yes God is our

ABBA father yes he has not given us a spirit of slavery that leads to fear again but he's given us a spirit of adoption as sons where by which we can cry out

ABBA father but yet we come to him with total adoration and respect for who he is in his pastoral epistle in first Timothy Paul is writing concerning elders in chapter 5 and we know that from the context because he says in verse 17 let the elders who rule well and then in verse 19 do not admit a charge against an elder and then he says this in verse 20 as for those context of elders who persist in sin rebuke them in the presence of all why so that the rest may stand in fear

God strengthen the church by preserving her through divine intervention and divine discipline so that the effect of fear came upon the entire body in Jerusalem and finally not only was the body strengthened from within number five the fellowship of the church is expanded the fellowship of the church is expanded look what happened according to verse 13 none of the rest none of the rest of the people who weren't part of the local body dare join them the outside is the unbelievers the lost but interesting here

Luke says but even though they didn't dare join them but the people held them in what high esteem today's 21st century church has become a laughingstock to outsiders the people then held them in high esteem because great fear came over the whole church and why didn't they dare join them because they were afraid they knew the results of sin great fear it says in verse 11 came not only upon the whole church but also upon all who heard these things the outside is too and notice the final result verse 14 and watch this more than ever believers were added to the

Lord multitudes of both men and women now I wouldn't have thought that especially after what happened within this body that more than ever more believers were being added to the body well you know for that to have happened it had to be only the

Lord's doing this is significant because the discipline was of sin it was not a secret sensitive type of mentality it's proof that it was the

Lord's doing if we are faithful to do what the Lord asked us to do in obedience to him

God is faithful we sang this morning about the faithfulness of God God is faithful to his character always he can never go against who he is in here because of what he did he brought the result more than ever pastor

MacArthur says in his book the truth war the appendix by the way when you do read books you always have to check the appendix most of the nuggets are in there he says this and I quote why do you think the

Lord struck in a nice and Sapphire dead in front of the whole congregation you imagine that by the way wife and husband within three hours of each other

MacArthur continues scripture is clear it was so the rest would be fearful of sinning this was not a secret sensitive strategy in fact it was the polar opposite of the contemporary push to make the church as comfortable as possible for sinners listen to this

MacArthur says the primary message of the church should not be we're a nice place you'll like us instead the message should be this is a holy place where sin is despised wasn't that after all the whole point of the

Ananias and Sapphire episode and of course now does that mean we're not friendly and welcoming of course not hospitality was high in the early church and we had to be hospitable to those who come to visit but it's the atmosphere the

DNA of our life as outlined in the scripture I wanted to show you a little bit how more than ever believers were added to the

Lord because of this incident if you trace through the book of Acts you'll see many times

Luke will record numbers were added believers were baptized so -and -so God saved you don't have to turn to these but just listen at Pentecost acts 241 so those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about 3 ,000 souls but here in this incident more than ever believers were added acts 247 and the

Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved but here in this incident more than ever believers were being added acts 4 3 to 4 they arrested them put them in custody until the next day for was already evening but many of those who had heard the word believed and the number of the men came to be about 5 ,000 but here in this incident more than ever believers were being added acts 6 1 now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number a complaint by the

Hellenist arose but in this incident believers more than ever acts 6 7 and the

Word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith but in this incident believers were added more than ever acts 8 and there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the

Apostles Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ but when they believe

Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women but here in acts 5 believers were added more than ever acts 931 the last one so the church throughout all

Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and walking in the fear of the

Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it multiplied but here in acts 5 more than ever the

Lord added believers what are some takeaways from this passage

I have six lessons that we can take away with us this evening number one the obvious one the primary purpose that God recorded this number one we're to take sin as seriously as God takes it we are to take sin as seriously as God takes it we see it from the beginning when

Adam and Eve sinned that's what I'm going to rename my daughters because when they do they go and hide when

Adam and Eve sinned they hid and God asked him where are you it was not a question of geography they sinned we see it throughout the

Old Testament the Day of Atonement in Luke in Leviticus chapter 16 we see some of the major prophets in the

Old Testament highlighting Isaiah the prophet seeing God that did he saw you in the thrice Holy God he couldn't look upon him because he was a man of unclean lips we see it of course ultimately in the life of our

Lord Jesus Christ who as we read this morning committed no sin but he died as an atonement for sin

God if he is faithful to his character and he is he will judge sin he did it here and he will do it always sin must be judged and at the cross

Jesus bore the wrath of God his ultimate punishment for those who would ultimately believe on him sin must be taken seriously when

I discuss with my daughters and try to incorporate the scripture into everyday life I'll ask them one of them told me the other day about one of their friends why they were doing something really bad and I asked her

I said well why were they doing something so bad well you know daddy I said I know but you want to tell me because they're sinners it's funny how they always notice when others do bad but not when they themselves do bad have you repented of your sin have you turned to Christ in faith if you have not you will be judged by a holy

God I plead with you to consider turning to Christ in faith and repentance because God takes sin very seriously number two it relates to that one each one has to take responsibility for their own sin you cannot say the devil made me do it isn't that what

Eve said the serpent you put here look at what

Peter said to Ananias I don't want you to miss this verses 3 & 4 we've read these before but I'm highlighting a different aspect

Ananias why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit so it was Satan doing wasn't it verse 4 he ends with this why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart

Peter was telling Ananias though Satan was involved as a tempter that Ananias was held responsible for this deed that he did in his heart and we know that from the result he fell dead on the spot

James 1 14 leaves no questions unanswered each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by what his own desire third lesson we can learn is about church membership church membership this is the first local church body in Jerusalem notice what it says in verse 11 and 13 verse 11 great fear came upon the whole church verse 13 none of the rest dare join who the church it was clear that there was a distinction a numbering of some sort where Luke saw the distinction between the church and the rest the

Holy Spirit being the prominent member of the Trinity here in the book of Acts we reminded in 1st

Corinthians 12 13 for by one spirit we were all baptized into one body by one spirit we were all baptized into one body you know a lot of times when we study theology where we're people who would like to compartmentalize things and systematic theology is very important I love theology

I love teaching systematic theology but we always have to remember that all theologies intersect soteriology connects with ecclesiology a lot of people will say well

I'm saved but I don't need the church really because the person who regenerates you is the

Holy Spirit and it's that same Holy Spirit who regenerates you who places you into the body of Christ you can't separate salvation without the church and if you read the book of Acts just even peruse it now with any in -depth kind of study just read it you will see that in the book of Acts the church did not know salvation without baptism in church membership if you're not a member if you come here and not a member of BBC and you are saved what are you waiting for the spirit who regenerates you has placed you into his body number four lesson we can learn church discipline of course here

God did it in a divine kind of way but it is important in the body of Christ for the sake of one thing purity the purity of his bride that's why in Ephesians 5

Paul says husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her why that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish it's the image of a bride walking down the aisle in white the church is his bride it's for the sake of purity and that is why

Paul was very strong in 1st Corinthians 5 as we've been walking as pastor Mike's been walking us through that epistle it says there

Paul it's actually reported that there are sexual immorality among you and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans for a man has his father's wife and you are arrogant ought you not rather to mourn let him who has done this be removed from among you why for the sake of purity do you not know that a little leaven leaven the whole lump cleanse out the old leaven for what have

I to do with judging outsiders is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge God judges those outside purge the evil person from among you the goal of church system of Lee ultimately is what what did

Jesus say if your brother sins against you go and talk to him in private and if he listens you have won them over the goal is for that person to repent and that is what we pray for Galatians 6 1 those of you who are spiritual restore its restoration is to prayerfully and following the instructions of scripture when somebody over in repentance last two lessons that this passage teaches us is number five the

Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit we see here that he is a person the

Holy Spirit is not some kind of force some kind of power some kind of influence is hovering about there he is a person notice what

Peter said why I say and filled your heart to lie to whom to the Holy Spirit you don't lie to a power to a force to an influence you lie to a person what do you say to his wife verse 9 how is it that you have agreed together to test the

Spirit of the Lord you don't test a power and influence you taste a person the

Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity but not only that we see his deity here verse 3

Peter said in a nice why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit verse 5 you have not lied to man but to God the

Holy Spirit is God and last but not least the last lesson we can learn it always comes back to this the character of God I've always heard it said as a kid growing up in your typical evangelical church boy you know the

God of the Old Testament he seems so just angry and so much full of wrath and justice but the

God of the New Testament is just so full of love next time somebody says that to me

I'm gonna sit down with him and say let's read Acts 5 together that's in the New Testament don't dissect

God God is love 100 % all the time

God is holy 100 % all the time God is sovereign all of his attributes work fully together all the time your view of God will determine what your view of everything else is if you have a high view of God you'll have a proper view of sin as highlighted in this passage if you have a low view of God you will have a wrong view of sin and you will have a very high view of man father thank you for the book of Acts in particularly we thank you for its teaching in our lives we thank you how we see the history of the church that blossomed from the day of Pentecost on but we see this riveting passage father that highlights how seriously you take sin that highlights the the bond that the early church had of genuine fellowship of sharing in common with one another

Lord it highlights also the work of your Holy Spirit and I pray that if anyone who was here who is not made a commitment to membership and that you have regenerated by your

Holy Spirit that they would realize that the Holy Spirit has not only regenerated but placed them into the body of Jesus Christ Lord help us to take sin seriously as you take it

I pray if there's anybody here tonight who has never personally repented of their sin and turned to Jesus Christ in faith the one who came to take on the wrath and bear the wrath of those that you have chosen to be your own