Acts V - A digging exercise

Acts 5 (NIV)

Ananias and Sapphira

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. 3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price." 9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Wow!  I love this passage.  So many people have said to me, "why would you want to live under Law, there is only judgement and misery in the Old Testament, and nothing but love in the New Testament?" BUT... here in the New Testament, you have Ananias & Sapphira... dead, struck dead, for what? for lying.  How much more, judgement oriented and Law based can you be?  

Why did they lie? for notoriety, prestige, recognition, they wanted to be known for something they weren't.  How so many people do this same thing today.  "I gave 20% last year" when in truth it was only 5%.  (and truly it's no ones business) And so many more people will not give if there isn't an open proclamation of how much.  Recognition, this is all most people today are after.  If the Holy Spirit were here today as much as he was then, people wouldn't be getting away with that, people would be dropping dead left and right.  Sometimes I wonder why the deaths during the time of Acts, but not today.  Why not today? There is so much corruption, lying, cheating, stealing, I just can not handle it anymore.  Every where you turn, lies, every one you meet, lies, even from your own family, lies lies and more lies.  They have to tell lies to cover up their lies.  Get caught in their lies.  Can't remember their lies.  Can't keep them straight.  And can't remember who they told which lie to.  AND don't seem to care.  Catch them in it, and they deny, but they are caught, trust is gone.  Can you get it back, knowing the next is a lie too.  

How do people live like this, it makes my head hurt just thinking about it.  Just tell the truth, always, and you won't trip yourself up.  If you think the person can't handle the truth that you are talking to, then don't say it, walk away, you do NOT have to lie.

Ananias & Sapphira sold their possessions, and chose to give a certain percent to the Church.  They were not obligated to do so.  They were not obligated to give all.  The money was theirs, and they could choose to give all, some, or none.  But they choose to give some, and then tell everyone it was all.  Did they really and truly think that they could lie to God and get away with it?  It matters not what the people of this world think of us, it matters what God thinks of us.  And truly, he gave them no opportunity to repent of their sin in this case.  They lied, and fell dead.  No second chance, no coming to their senses, no realization of their error and atoning for it later... Dead! on the floor the next minute.  Forever separated from God because of their sin.  Sound harsh? It's Just!  Ananias & Sapphira cared more about what others thought than what God thought, this was an internal attack on the Church, this was the first defection from within the Church.  

Today's lesson:  Living to please God rather than people.  Aim:  To teach, in order to be faithful followers of and witnesses for Jesus, we must choose daily to obey God rather than people; that is, to care more what God thinks of us than what others think! (Heritage Church, October 15, 2014)

And all this proves my ultimate point, God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow.  He has not "changed" his plan, but is moving through the next phase of it.  Law is not abolished, it is enhanced with Grace.  So for those that lean to the side of Law... you are wrong.  For those you lean only on Grace, you too are wrong.  There is a middle point, where Law and Grace come together, and THAT is where we should be.  THAT is what Christ Jesus preached.  THAT is what you will find if you too read both the "OLD" and the "NEW".  

The Apostles Heal Many

12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.

Many miraculous signs and wonders were performed.  A purged and purified church is powerful.  A powerful and popular church will be persecuted. Are you doing what it takes to be persecuted? Stand on what you know is right.  Stand on the Word of God.  He will give you gifts.  The Holy Spirit will give you gifts.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers. 

If the Spirit is truly dwelling within you, you will see his fruits:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  

AND the faith that is shown in these people.  They brought their loved ones, laid them in the streets, on mats and beds, in hopes, (JUST IN HOPES) that Peter's shadow would fall on them.  Talk about faith, I know it must have been a great time to be alive with the miracles happening all around, and the Holy Spirit alive in everyone.  

The Apostles Persecuted

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees,were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin--the full assembly of the elders of Israel--and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this. 25 Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." 33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

The Sadduccees were filled with jealousy.  Oh this is priceless, they are filled with jealousy... why? You know that they had to "know" that what they were doing was wrong... They just had to.  I don't see any way around it at this point.  The miracle WAS performed, and it was performed in the name of Jesus Christ...  They could not deny that it had happened, the evidence was the man right there in their faces jumping for joy and singing praises...  So how could the not see... They were so scared of losing their hold on the people, and their way of life, that they couldn't admit this out loud.  The were so afraid of losing their earthly powers that they could not publicly endorse Jesus Christ... BUT they had to know.  They had to know that deep down they were wrong...  I just don't see any way around that fact.  And they were jealous, of what the believers had, they were jealous of the power and the miracles that were being displayed, they were envious that they did not share these powers.  They did not "believe" in resurrection, therefore the rest made no sense to them... see what having a closed heart gets you?  Just because you can't "see" past something doesn't make it not so.  Open your eyes... Open your heart... read the scripture for yourself as if you had never read it before... throw your biases and preconceived notions in the trash where they belong, and read the Word for what God intended for you to get out of it.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you along the road of reading the Word, FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE, NOT YOUR OWN...

Even Gamaliel says... Leave them be, if they are not of God they will fade away... If they are of God, then you will be fighting God on this subject... Guess what guys...