Be a Barnabas, not a Ananias (Acts 4:32-5:11)

Where: College Baptist Church

When: June 24, 2001

Why: To encourage people to be authentic with genuine spirituality like Barnabas, and not hypocritical like Ananias.

Text: Acts 4:32-5:11

Introduction

The early Spirit-filled church was remarkable. They were great in unity (Acts 4:32), in power and boldness (4:31, 33), in grace (4:33), in caring and sharing (4:34), and in evangelism (6:14). God was working among them in wonderful ways. His glory was clearly evident. And this is spite of the persecution that they were experiencing.

As you may recall, Peter and John were imprisoned and taken to trial for healing the lame man in the outer courts of the temple at the huge bronze gate called Beautiful. The healing wasn't the really the issue that got them arrested. The healing incident though gave the religious leaders an excuse to bring them in. The real reason was God's glory. Everyone was talking about what was happening through these people who had been with Jesus. This Jesus whom the religious leaders had crucified was getting all the glory. And frankly, they wanted the glory. They wanted the attention, power, and authority.

Opposition that comes against the church in it's obedience to Christ is ultimately opposition that comes from Satan. Satan wants to thwart the work of God in the world and he wants the glory that is due to God. He has always wanted this ever since he declared he would make himself like the Most High God (Isaiah 14:14).

In addition to the clear fact that those who stand in opposition to the work and glory of God are fulfilling the purposes of Satan, how can we be confident that the persecution that was coming on the church was from the devil? Jesus had identified the Jewish religious leaders as being children of the devil. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). These are the same people who were persecuting the Spirit-filled church. They didn't see themselves as the children of the devil, but they were none the less. In their minds, their self-ingratiating and self-fulfilling efforts at religiosity was a service to God. But they were deceived. They were servants not of God, but of God's highest created angel, a fallen angel named Lucifer who was, and remains today, hungry for God's glory.

Through the persecution, God received glory through the submission and joyful obedience of His church. The persecution, an attack from outside the church, only caused they Spirit-filled Christians to pray more boldly, to claim God's power and authority with greater tenacity, and to expect greater things of Him for His glory.

Transition

God's glory was demonstrated in the unity, power, grace, and boldness. And there was a spiritual genuineness- a true spirituality without hypocrisy- that was demonstrating itself through sincere caring and generosity.

When Satan does not succeed in dousing the fire of the Spirit-filled church through attacks from the outside, he will try to destroy the work of the Spirit (which is to God's glory) from the inside. One of his main strategies to drain the glory of God from the effective, Spirit-filled church is through hypocrisy. But what Satan meajns for evil, God can us for His glory.

This morning, we consider the spiritual genuineness of two individuals: Barnabas and Ananias. Let us make it our prayer to be like Barnabas and not Ananias.

Barnabas, filled with the Spirit, offers genuine spirituality

Acts 4:36. ³⁶ Joseph, 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.

"Barnabas was a sparkling example of all the sterling qualities of the early church- unity, grace, power, caring- especially caring. His original name was 'Joseph,' but he was nicknamed 'Barnabas' ('Son of Encouragement') because that is the way he was (4:36)" [Hughes]. Barnabas was a man filled with the Holy Spirit and identified by his spiritual gift. Romans 12:8 lists encouraging as a gift of grace from God.

The "Son of Encouragement" is seen in other parts of Scripture doing just that. He is the one who took the repentant Saul before the disciples in Jerusalem when everyone else was afraid of him, taking him personally to the apostles to stand with him in his the testimony of his new faith (9:26-30). He was the one sent by the leaders of the church in Jerusalem to the reported new believers in Antioch, and they were greatly encouraged (11:22-24). He is Saul's first partner in ministry (11:30, 12:25) when the church in Antioch sent gifts to Jerusalem. He is Saul's partner on his first missionary journey (13:2). When Paul decided that it would not be wise to take John Mark on their follow-up journey because John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia, it was Barnabas who stuck it out with the young man, ever the encourager (15:36-40).

What is it that Barnabas did in 4:37 that demonstrated his spiritual genuineness? He ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. As some were doing at that time as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, he sold a parcel of land that he owned and brought the proceeds and laid it at the apostles feet. It was an authentic gift, and genuine demonstration of love under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

John Piper asserts, "Two of the effects of believing in Jesus are that the heart is loosened in relationship to things and tightened in its relationship to people" [Piper]. Barnabas' heart was loose in relationship to things and tight in relationship to people. He voluntarily gave joyfully and generously to the Lord and the needs of the Spirit-filled church.

Scripture teaches strongly that giving to the Lord should be joyful and voluntary. 1 Corinthians 9:7 says, Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. What one gives and how one gives it is a reflection of the condition of the heart. We give as we decide in our hearts; it is a heart issue. What we give, then, we give freely and with joy. No one makes us do it. We don't have to be deceptive about it. Because it is what God has laid on the Spirit-filled Christian's heart, he or she can give it with joy and genuineness.

Barnabas was a man liberated by the Holy Spirit- liberated from the need of things, liberated to respond to God's leading in his heart, liberated to love, liberated to give with joy. He was genuine in his spirituality, an authentic Christian.

Barnabas, filled with the Holy Spirit, offers us an example of genuine spirituality.

Ananias, filled with Satan, offers hypocritical spirituality

Ananias, on the other hand, is a victim of selfishness, self-interest, and self-promotion. Ananias, other the other hand, filled with Satan, offers hypocritical spirituality.

Whoa! Wait a minute! Isn't that a bit harsh? That has a dissonant ring to our ears tuned to the mindset and worldview of the 21^st century.

Well, let's look together at God's Word and see what it says.

Acts 5:1-4. Now 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. 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."

Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, also sold a piece of land. They decided together ahead of time to keep back a part of the profits for themselves- perhaps a retirement nest egg or to have a little on hand for home improvements. They then took the rest and laid it at the apostles' feet. They decided not to give it all with every intention of giving the perception that they were giving it all.

Peter confronted them with the their deception in no uncertain terms. Consequently, both died on the spot. Ananias was judged first. He was barely covered with dirt before Sapphira came in and reasserted their deception not knowing what had happened to her husband. And she too died on the spot.

On the surface it appears that their sin was not giving all of the profits of the sale of their land to the needy church. Was it wrong to hold some back? No! What was wrong is that they conspired to do so giving the impression that they were giving it all. It was hypocrisy.

Peter asked, "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?" (5:3) Peter made two very strong statements that we can take as truth since it was spoken by Peter under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and because it is recorded in Scripture, the Word of God inspired by God, or breathed out by Him. And he cannot lie.

One statement is that Satan had filled Ananias' heart. The other statement is that they had lied to the Holy Spirit.

A few questions arise: Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? Can Satan fill Christian hearts and minds with evil desires and motives? What can we learn about the Holy Spirit? And why such severe judgment?

There are some who believe that Ananias and Sapphira were not Christians. This would be a comfortable answer and reinforce an assumption (mistaken) that Satan cannot fill the Christian's heart in this way.

But I do not think that is the case. Ananias and his wife were Christians. They were counted among those who believed who were of one heart and mind (4:32). If they are not Christians, what is the point of the passage? The passage is a lesson to believers about the severity of sin, especially that of hypocrisy. And as we know from our Bible reading earlier, Ananias and Sapphira were judged for their sin by death.

Then there is the issue of Satan's involvement. Can Satan fill believers' hearts with such distorted motives that God's glory can be compromised and undermined by inauthentic, hypocritical spirituality?

Yes, Satan can fill the unguarded heart with thoughts that are inconsistent with God's truth. For example, in Matthew 16:21 Jesus was predicting His sacrificial death and resurrection on Calvary. It was His death as the Lamb of God which would be the substitute for our deaths as sinners. It was His death prophesied at the judgement of the snake and Satan at the Fall in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:150. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.) It was a prophesy which Satan had been trying to defeat and thwart throughout all of history. It was Christ's death that would make a way for you and I back to fellowship to God, through which God would receive the highest glory.

Do you remember Peter's reaction to Jesus' assertion that He would soon be killed by the religious leaders in Jerusalem? By human wisdom, it was with good motives, wise advise. By God's wisdom, it was the very words and work of Satan. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men" (Matthew 16:22, 23). Isn't it ironic that Peter who spoke at one point under the influence of Satan, now rebukes a fellow Christian for doing the same? Why was Ananias judged and not Peter? I'll try to address that in a moment.

We must also remember that Ephesians 6 pictures the Christian life as hand-to-hand combat with Satan and his cohorts. It also assures us of the victory in the Lord Jesus Christ as we stand firm clothed fully with the spiritual armor He provides. 1 Peter 5:8 pictures Satan as a roaring lion aggressively searching for unguarded victims to devour. He is to be resisted in the power and authority of Jesus Christ to the glory of God (James 4:7).

What does this passage tell us about the Holy Spirit? John MacArthur points out that it tells us much about who the Holy Spirit is: "This passage teaches two vitally important truths about the Holy Spirit. First, it affirms that He is a person, not an influence or impersonal force, since He can be lied to. Second, verse 3 says Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, while verse 4 says that he lied to God, a clear affirmation of the deity of the Holy Spirit" [MacArthur].

Why was it lying to the Holy Spirit? According to 1 Corinthians 8:12 sin against a Christian brother or sister is a sin against Christ. Peter establishes that Ananias and Sapphira's lying to the church and the apostles was lying to God. Under the pretense of being led by the Holy Spirit, under the pretense of giving joyfully and voluntarily as He has placed it in their hearts, they lied- to the apostles, to the church, to the Holy Spirit. Their spiritual deception was boldfaced hypocrisy.

Why was God so severe in judgement? "Because this was a pivotal time in church history. 'The way Ananias and Sapphira attempted to reach their goals was so dramatically opposed to the whole thrust of the Gospel that to allow it to go unchallenged would have set the entire mission for the Church off course' (Richard Longenecker as quoted by Hughes). A similar thing happened in the case of Achan as the children of Israel prepared for a new era in the Promised Land. The destruction caused by spiritual pretense is clearly more far-reaching than we can imagine. We know it has poisoned the life of the Church throughout its history. 'Hypocrite' is the secular cliche for the churchgoer, too often rightly so" [Hughes].

Why was Ananias judged and not Peter? Frankly, I'm not really sure. One reason may have been the nature of the sin. Peter's well meaning, albeit Satan-inspired, rebuke of Jesus is a different issue than that of intentional, premeditated conspiracy to deceive by presenting oneself as a spiritual giant when one is actually a glory-grabbing gnat. Another reason may just be the timing. Perhaps here at the beginning of the new church God just wanted to make it clear that this stuff is dangerous, it is a cancerous attack from within. Do not let the enemy infiltrate the camp!

It is a sobering thought really. If God continued today to deal with us on these terms, the face of the church would be quite different! "Dr. Barnhouse, on the basis of this text, would never let his congregation sing the third stanza of 'At Calvary:' 'Now I have giv'n to Jesus everything; now I gladly own him as my King.' 'You see,' he said, 'if God acted in the same way today that he did in the fifth chapter of Acts, you'd have to have a morgue in the basement of every church and a mortician on the pastoral staff.' The truth is, we would not have a pastoral staff either!' [Hughes].

We need to be clear what Ananias and Sapphira's sin was. It wasn't just casual deception. It was pretending to have a deeper spiritual commitment than they had.

Let us think of this in contemporary terms, if we dare. Today we may be guilty of this same type of deception, lack of genuineness and authenticity, if we work hard to create the impression we are a person of prayer when we really are not. Or if we give the impression that we are really generous when we are so tight we squeak when we smile. If we try to make people think that we have it together spiritually by the things we say or do, yet our secret lives don't match up or the words we say or the impressions we give when we are with the boys from work or the girls at the office, then we are guilty of hypocrisy. If the pastor tries to give the impression that he spiritually has it all together, urging his flock to deeper devotion to God, implying that he is setting the pattern and the pace, but he actually knows his life doesn't measure up, then he is guilty of hypocrisy. If an evangelist calls people to holy living when secretly he is having an affair on the side with his secretary, then he is a hypocrite.

There was an option for Ananias, the option available to Baranabas, to each of us. It is the option of authenticity, of integrity. Ananias could have said, "Here is our gift. We thank God that He has made it possible to sell our land so that some of the proceeds can be used for His work and the needs of the church. We feel that he wants us to keep some of back for retirement right now. But we are thankful that we can share this amount joyfully and willingly from our hearts." No pretense. No deception. Genuine spirituality.

What affect did the judgment of this sin have on the church?

Acts 5:11-16. ¹¹ Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. 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.

As it would be expected, this struck great fear in their hearts. I could happen to any of them. And it was a fear of God. It was a fear of His holiness. It was awe of God's glory.

It had two affects: God's glory inspired authentic, spiritually genuine Christians to greater deeds of faith to God's glory and it kept the inauthentic away.

What Satan meant for evil, God used for good. What Satan had meant for evil to undermine and discredit God's glory, God used for good to increase the praise to His glory.

What should be our response?

Let's be like Barnabas, not like Ananias. Let's be authentic in our spirituality and put away hypocrisy. Let's be in awe of God's glory. Like Barnabas, let's joyfully and willingly lay our all at the Lord's feet. Let's resist Satan's attacks and schemes to undermine God's glory that come from outside the church and from within the church. Let us be authentic in our love and in our relationships. Let us expectant of God's working on our behalf.

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