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Victorious over being plastic

Explore the troubling story of the death of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 and learn valuable lessons on Christian integrity. Discover the sins of practical atheism, hypocrisy, and stealing consecrated things, and understand the importance of truthfulness and a clear conscience.

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Victorious over being plastic

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  1. Victorious over being plastic #9 Acts (5:1-11)

  2. Introduction • Question 1 • Question 2

  3. Introduction • Today, about being real people in the church of Jesus Christ • Troubling story of the death of Ananias and Sapphira • It is not about a hair trigger conscience • There is a vital message for everyone regardless of where we find ourselves on the integrity curve

  4. The story Acts 5 5Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With 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.

  5. The story Barnabas 36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

  6. The story Barnabas 36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

  7. 3Then 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 just to human beings but to God.”

  8. The story 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

  9. The story 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.”

  10. The story 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

  11. The story 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.

  12. The result of the incident 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. 

  13. What is the sin of A & S? • The moral dilemma of the passage – harshness. • We do not start on a justifying mode. Why? • We do start on an understanding mode. Why?

  14. What is the sin of a&s? • The sin of practical atheism • It is the heinous lie (failure lie vs gain lie) • It is the sin of Judas (leadership based on a lie)

  15. What is the sin of a&s? • It is the sin of the Pharisees (hypocrisy | plastic) • “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. (Matthew 23:27)

  16. What is the sin of a&s? • It is the sin of Achan (stealing the consecrated at the inception of a new beginning) • 7 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan… of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. (Joshua 7)

  17. What is the sin of a&s? • The sin of practical atheism • It is the heinous lie to gain • It is the sin of Judas (leadership based on a lie) • It is the sin of the Pharisees-hypocrisy • It is the sin of Achan-stealing the consecrated at inception

  18. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • We lose integrity when we rationalize away truthfulness • Cheating in golf by moving the ball? • The use of the FUDGE

  19. #1 We lose integrity when we rationalize away truthfulness HONESTY DISHONESTY

  20. #1 We lose integrity when we rationalize away truthfulness HONESTY DISHONESTY FUDGE

  21. #1 We lose integrity when we rationalize away truthfulness • e.g. of the Fudge. Compare illegal download vs other non-payment • distance | dislike

  22. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • We sear our conscience each time we lie • Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:2, NIV)

  23. #2 We sear our conscience each time we lie • We sear our conscience each time we lie • Men will tell lies and make people believe they are something when they are not. These men will have made their hearts so hard that they will not know they are doing wrong. (1 Timothy 4:2, WE)

  24. #2 We sear our conscience each time we lie • CT scans on the lying mind • The case in point: undercover / spy • The heart adapts to guilt • The baseline integrity (what-the-heck phenomenon) • The searing / desensitizing of the conscience

  25. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • We must completely reject the intolerable poison of the cover-up lie within the church • E.g. Cover up of sexual abuse in the RC Church • Never cover-up a wrong in the church • The blasphemous excuse: “For God’s glory.” • The church at inception

  26. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • God’s way to my integrity is to remind me • I have hidden your word in my heart    that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11, NIV) • The result of the experiment of the reminder before opportunity to cheat. • The church needs this reminder!

  27. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • God can change my baseline integrity if I am willing • You can change when you are reminded before the event • Therefore, read / memorize God’s word in the mornings • The goal: a new personal baseline • The goal: a new church baseline

  28. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • We lose integrity when we rationalize away truthfulness • We sear our conscience each time we lie • We must completely reject the intolerable poison of the cover-up lie within the church

  29. 5 lessons on Christian integrity • God’s way to my integrity is to remind me • God can change my baseline integrity if I am willing

  30. Conclusion • There is a healthy fear of God I ought to cultivate • If my integrity baseline is off, I have the serious spiritual problem of a seared conscience and a pretense at integrity • If I have a seared conscience, I must correct it today • I can change if I will let God’s word remind me each day of my need for integrity

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