If you've got a Bible, turn to Acts chapter 4.
And it would really help you to have a Bible in front of you.
And so do run and grab one from the door.
Or look at it on your phone, if you're able to not be distracted.
And the end of Acts chapter 4, I'm going to go right the way through from the end of Acts 4 to the whole of chapter 5.
A little while ago, I came across a website that gave kids funny answers to school tests or exams.
There was one geography test that said, can you name six animals which live specifically in the Arctic?
One kid answered, two polar bears and four seals.
There was a history exam that ended, what ended in 1896?
And one wise guy responded, 1895.
Another history question, where was the American Declaration of Independence?
And it's signed.
One kid answered at the bottom.
And so I'm not sure what this subject was.
But here's the question, it went something like this.
Some atoms share electrons and become more stable.
Can you describe a situation where people can share something and everyone benefits?
And the answer came back, communism.
Communism is an ideology.
Some of you here will have experienced it.
Some of you might even be drawn to it.
Others of you detest it.
And interestingly, sometimes people go to Acts 4 and it's been described as a kind of Christian communism.
People are sharing their possessions with one another.
People are making sure all the needy are looked after.
And I can understand why people might think that about Acts chapter 4.
But personally, I think there's some big problems with that.
Luke's explanation of what's going on is that the church are under the influence of a great power and great grace.
And it starts, doesn't it, with that wonderful expression in chapter 4 and verse 32.
Where it says, now the full number of those who believed were one heart and soul.
And no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own.
But they had everything in common.
It's a wonderful description.
In that church, there was such unity amongst the Christians in those churches.
That they could possess one mind and one heart.
A common heart and a common mind.
Their desires and their thoughts in the church were this remarkable unity.
And their unity, we're told, is fed and shaped by the teaching of the apostles.
And that's the first of two things that is described as great in verse 33.
Now this sermon is really clear in my mind.
But there's about three different structures going on.
So you can take your pick.
Hopefully it'll be clear in your mind by the end too.
If it's not, you can complain.
Two things Luke describes.
Look at verse 3.
Two things that are great.
He says that with great power, the apostles were giving testimony to the Lord Jesus.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And so point one really is, there's a church here that's filled with great grace and great power.
The apostles are teaching that the new believers, and they're teaching them and they're continuing to preach this message to anyone else in the world who will listen.
And the focus of the New Testament church was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That was where the early church found their great power.
But there's a second thing, isn't there?
There's great power.
But Luke describes in that verse, there's great grace was upon them all.
Great undeserved kindness was upon them all.
Great grace accompanying great power.
And that grace, that grace, that great undeserved generosity meant that there was no needy person among them.
God's grace provoked them into a radical generosity.
Unlike communism, the early church still believed in private ownership.
That's clear from chapter 5 and verse 4.
But nevertheless, they adopted a really sacrificial attitude.
Verse 32, no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
Verse 34, there was not a needy person among them.
For as many 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.
That echoes what we've seen already in chapter 2 of Acts.
And it really is an incredible commitment to each other that is being described here.
And if that unsettles you a little bit, let me tell you, I think that's a good thing.
Here's what one writer said about these verses.
He said,
Here's a surprise.
That was written 550 years ago by a man called John Calvin.
And if that was true then, how much more is that true today?
This radical generosity is counter-cultural.
These early Christians saw their possessions to be genuinely at the disposal of others,
according to their needs.
So much so that they were willing to sell what was theirs in order to provide for others.
Now, when was the last time any of us did that?
It seems that most of us, who are trusting the Lord Jesus Christ,
are willing to be generous with our liquid assets.
That's the money in our bank or what's in our wallet.
But I suspect that it rarely occurs to us to liquidate some of the things that we own
in order to be generous to others in need.
And I suspect we should be very provoked and challenged by what we read.
Luke follows this up by pointing to the example of one particular man,
a man named Barnabas, that was his nickname.
One writer I read called Barnabas the poster boy of a Jewish convert.
He may have been one of the people that was converted on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
And here he is just a short little while selling a field he owned
and bringing the money to the feet of the apostles.
And I think the symbolism there is he's bringing it to the church and saying,
use this where the needs are greatest.
And his action becomes a kind of benchmark to which other believers will aspire.
People like a married couple called Ananias and Sapphira.
Now just before we move into chapter 5,
I want us to pause and to take a mental picture of this church.
The church that Luke describes here is a church living under a powerful influence.
There is powerful preaching and there is divine favour.
Luke calls it great power and great grace.
And who wouldn't want to be part of a church like this?
A church where people come together and they hear God's word powerfully preached
and a church where people care for one another deeply
and people are generous towards one another and dependent on God's word.
It's a church full of grace and full of power.
Who would not want to join a church like that?
But then things come and stuck.
And it seems to me there's a bit of a parallel here.
You've got a parallel of the idyllic situation at the start of the Bible.
The idyllic experience of Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden of Eden.
And it's spoiled by the sin of a married couple.
And so you come to Acts chapter 5
and the idyllic experience of the early church is spoiled
by the sin of a married couple.
And so as we move from chapter 5,
we move from a church that is filled with grace and power
to a church that's filled with fear.
And in place of those united hearts, do you remember that?
We see divided hearts.
We find that hearts have been corrupted.
So look at chapter 5 verse 3.
Do you remember?
4.32, one heart.
5 verse 3, Peter says,
Ananias, why has the devil, Satan, filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?
If you've been here through the series in Acts,
we are learning that there are threats to the Christian church.
And the threats do not just come from outside,
from persecution and pressure,
but they come from inside, from the sin of church members.
And as the one-heartedness of chapter 4
is undermined by the corruption of hearts in chapter 5,
so too is the one-mindedness undermined.
And the sin of Ananias and Sapphira
shatters a really wonderful unity.
Their sin is not primarily greed.
Okay?
It's deceit.
It's hypocrisy.
And it seems to me that Ananias and Sapphira,
they wanted the reputation of the poster boy Barnabas.
And they saw Barnabas and his generosity
and how people were so thankful for what he'd done and who he was,
and they wanted his reputation without the sacrifice.
They were consumed by envy.
They wanted to be thought of as more generous than they actually were.
The issue wasn't that they wanted to keep some money for themselves.
No, that was fine.
That's not the issue.
But the issue is that they pretended that they were giving it all.
Peter says there in verse 4,
while it remained unsold,
didn't it remain your own?
And after it was sold,
wasn't it at your disposal?
Why is it that you've contrived this deed in your heart?
You've not lied to man,
but to God.
They wanted to be seen,
to be like Barnabas.
But in the end,
they proved to be very,
very different.
And this really is,
isn't it,
a provocative challenge to us and our money,
and to me and my money.
Because the sin of Ananias and Sapphira
leaves us asking a pretty uncomfortable question of ourselves.
Is it possible that we would like the kudos
that comes with generosity
without the inconvenience of it?
Do we want to be seen to be generous
without really making any sacrifices?
And that is very close to home, isn't it?
And I wonder if we,
if I,
am ever guilty of a similar hypocrisy.
Well, we know what happens next.
In the previous paragraph,
we saw the power
of the apostles influencing the church.
And here we see the church
captured by the power of God.
And the judgment
that Ananias and Sapphira fell under
is swift and complete
and utterly unforgettable.
Did you notice,
at the start of the story,
they brought their money
to lay at the feet of the apostles?
That's verse 2.
They bring their money
and they lay it at the feet of the apostles,
but in chapter 10,
but in verse 10,
they are stone cold dead
at the feet of the apostles.
And again,
it reminds us of another story,
doesn't it,
in the Old Testament,
the story of Achan,
which is told in Joshua chapter 7.
Because Achan too,
he sinned, didn't he?
And he sinned against the people of God,
the community to which he belonged,
and he tried to hide it
and he was struck down dead.
And it seems significant
that the founding moments
of the Old Testament community
of God's people,
you have the sin of Achan,
and then the founding moment
of the New Testament community
of God's people,
you have Ananias and Sapphira.
And it's as if God is acting
to show that sin,
our rebellion,
and our deceit
has no place
in his church.
God acts devastatingly
and nothing if not memorably.
There can be no mistake
that here,
this act is the power of God
rather than the power of the apostles.
Some people see this chapter
as a kind of pattern
for church discipline.
I think that misreads it.
It's not the church leaders
exercising discipline,
it is God exercising discipline.
Peter makes it really clear,
doesn't he?
He says,
you two,
you've sinned against God.
Notice the way he speaks
about the Holy Spirit
and God interchangeably.
Where do you see that God,
where do you see
that the Holy Spirit is God?
Verse three says,
you've lied to the Holy Spirit.
Verse four says,
you've lied to God.
Verse nine says,
you've conspired to test the Lord.
And just as God is the one
who has been sinned against,
so he is the one that responds.
It's not the church leaders
that decide that Ananias
and Sapphira should die.
It's not the church leaders
or members
who carry out this discipline.
God does.
And that's why the people
respond by fearing God.
And God
let's be clear about that.
This wasn't a kind of posture
that people adopted
after they carefully
reviewed the evidence
and they came to
a considered point of view.
No, they see Ananias
and Sapphira drop dead
and they are gripped with fear.
Great fear.
They're scared.
They recognize who God is
in all his terrifying holiness
and power
and they're afraid.
Chapter 4 tells us
the church knew great power
and great grace.
But here you see something else
that the church experiences
that Luke calls great.
Verse 5.
When Ananias heard these words
he fell down and breathed his last
and great fear
came upon all who heard it.
Verse 11.
Great fear
came upon the whole church
and all who heard of these things.
This is the first time
that the word church
appears in Luke's writings.
He wrote a gospel
and he wrote Acts
and this is the first time
the word church
appears in his writing.
Luke says,
this is church everyone.
This is the place
where sin is taken
very, very seriously.
This is more than just
a service
with some singing.
More than
warm hearted fellowship
and a cup of tea.
Life and death
is at stake here.
He is saying
that the church
is a place
where God is.
And God sees
even the secrets
of your heart
and mine.
And the God
who sees everything
is the God
who is determined
not to let us stay
as we are.
But who will break us
and remake us
until we're like his son.
And if that doesn't
terrify us
we're not listening.
Welcome to church.
Luke says.
What happened
at your church
last Sunday
where actually
two people died?
Welcome to church.
and again
the question now is
who would want
to be part
of a church
like this?
Do you remember
Through the Keyhole
with Lloyd Grossman?
It's kind of
over 45s
isn't it?
And he'd go around
different celebrities' houses
and he would ask
who lives in a house
like this?
I can't do his accent.
The question would be
who would want
to live in a house
like this?
Who would want
to be part
of a church
like this?
It's not safe
is it?
To be part
of a church
like this.
Much will be
expected of you.
You will need
to change
like I do.
There's no secrets
from God.
Who would want
to be part
of a church
like this?
It's certainly
uncomfortable
isn't it?
Even dangerous.
Thankfully
God doesn't seem
to be in the business
of disciplining
people so drastically
these days
that God's holiness
is no less exacting
than it was
then
and yet God
has given us
eyes to see
isn't it?
That there's
no better place
for us to be.
This part
of Acts 5
reminds you
and I
if we're part
of this church
very soberly
of what we've
signed up for.
chapter 5
verse 12
the focus
shifts from
the church
to the wider
mission of
Jesus
that the believers
are involved in.
The second half
will be briefer.
The focus
shifts from
what's being
laid at the
apostles feet
to what is
in the apostles
hands.
Verse 12
talks about
what was being
done by the
hands of
the apostles
and once again
the focus
there is on
these signs
and wonders
they're performing
there are some
incredible things
that they're doing
and when you've
realised
when you
have read them
you notice how
powerful the
apostles seem
to people
that people are
even leaving
their sick
friends and
relatives on
the side of
the street
where the
shadow of
the apostle
Peter might
fall on them
it was attractive
many sick
people many
demon possessed
people were
brought to them
and Luke says
they were healed
it's this
unique stage
of redemptive
history
and as we
saw in
Luke chapter
2
Acts chapter
2
this is the
power of
Jesus now
being channeled
through his
apostles
there are no
apostles around
today
no one
who's seen
the life
and ministry
and resurrection
of the Lord
Jesus
but what we're
drawn to is
the ministry
of these
apostles
in their
teaching
and their
acts
mixes with
very
well
there are
very mixed
reactions to
it
some really
don't want to
associate with
them
so verse 12
and 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
and then it
says none
of the rest
joined them
but the people
held them in
high esteem
but by contrast
there are others
who are hearing
the message
about Jesus
and surrendering
their lives
in verse 14
more than ever
believers were
added to the
Lord and
multitudes of
both men
and women
it seems
that there's
people in
Jerusalem
that are
publicly
terrified
to join
the church
meetings
happening
in the
colonnade
of Solomon's
portico
but they're
willing to
receive the
ministry of
the apostles
when they
travel about
and as they
did many
of them
were saved
but of
course
some
people
are not
remotely
interested
in being
saved
and chief
among
those who
are not
queuing up
for the
apostles
ministry
are the
Jewish
leaders
and verse
17
describes the
ongoing
conflict
and in the
first place
Luke tells
us that their
jealousy leads
to hostility
Luke actually
names what's
in their
hearts
verse 17
the high
priest rose
up and all
who were with
him
that's the
party of
Sadducees
filled with
jealousy
envy
and they
arrested the
apostles and
put them in
public prison
and now we're
not talking about
any longer how
the mission of
Jesus proceeds
when it's in
the apostles
hands
but how the
mission proceeds
when the
Jewish leaders
are trying to
direct its
course
and they do
so don't
they by
laying their
hands on
God's
messengers
and Luke
tells us that
that power
leads to
humiliation
I love this
section
because they
try to
prevent
don't they
the mission
of Jesus
proceeding
that was
their goal
but their
power to
throw people
in jail
is utterly
outstripped
by the
power of
Jesus
whose mission
it is
so Luke
describes
doesn't he
that an
angel of the
Lord comes
and opens
the door
of the
jail
during the
night
and he
tells the
disciples
go back
to the
temple
from where
you've
been
arrested
and start
preaching
again
and that's
what they
do the
next morning
the Jewish
Sanhedrin
assembles
for the
next day
they call
for the
apostles
to be
brought
from
jail
one of
the
guards
has to
sheepishly
go and
tell the
leaders
listen the
jail cell
is empty
we don't
know where
they are
and no
sooner have
they delivered
that message
than another
messenger comes
and says
those guys
who arrested
yesterday
they're
actually
back in
the temple
and they're
preaching
it's a
comical
scene
God
gives
these guys
just a
tiny glimpse
of his
authority
and strength
and the
leaders are
utterly
humiliated
once more
the apostles
are brought
from their
preaching
to the
authorities
they don't
use force
this time
verse 26
because they're
afraid of the
people
and just
notice
when you
put the
fear of
people
and the
fear of
God
alongside
each other
it shines
doesn't it
a light
on the
weakness
of these
Jewish
leaders
the fear
of people
leads to
an ineffective
command
because Luke
tells us
next just
how ineffective
their instruction
the day
before had
been
despite what
had happened
overnight
they continued
to act
as if
they were
in complete
control of
what was
going on
so look at
verse 28
the Jewish
leaders say
we strictly
charged you
not to
teach in
his name
we told
you
notice
they can't
even begin
to bring
themselves
to name
the name
of Jesus
and then
there's this
beautiful
captivating
turn of
phrase
it says
this
is
what
these
apostles
have
done
is
filled
Jerusalem
with
this
teaching
over the
day
when that
would be
said
of
Ealing
and of
London
that it
was filled
with the
teaching
of the
gospel
Peter and
the others
respond
verse 29
and they
say we
must obey
God
rather than
human
beings
it's
exactly the
same thing
they said
a couple
of weeks
ago
in chapter
419
do you
remember
what Peter
and John
replied
they said
whether it's
right
in the
sight of
God
to listen
to you
rather than
God
well you
must judge
for we
cannot
but speak
of what
we've
seen
and heard
for the
apostles
the choices
are no
brainer
obey
God
or obey
the
Jewish
leaders
but they
don't
stop
that
having
said
that
they
launch
into
this
explanation
of the
good
news
that we'll
see
again
and
again
the
apostles
never
miss
a beat
to
proclaim
what
God
has
done
they
say
verse
30
the
God
of our
it's
astonishing
they
continue
to offer
the
crucifiers
of Jesus
the
possibility
of
complete
forgiveness
but they
are also
very clear
in calling
on them
to listen
to God
to listen
to their
testimony
and to
the
testimony
of the
Holy
Spirit
and the
apostles
insist
on calling
the Jewish
leaders
to repent
is more
than most
of them
can bear
they hear
the message
you got it
wrong
about
Jesus
massively
wrong
about
Jesus
and they
respond
verse 33
can you
see it
when they
hear this
they are
enraged
and want
to kill
them
the chapter
ends by
telling us
about this
wise old
Pharisee
called
Gamaliel
who
urges
a more
cautious
approach
and his
wisdom
leads to
restraint
he sagely
reminds them
that religious
leaders
religious
movements
come and
go
they flare
up all
the time
and then
they burn
out as
quickly as
they got
going
and this
could be
one of
them
so verse
39
and this
is a
very
poignant
moment
verse 39
he says
this
he says
if it
is of
God
you will
not be
able
to stop
them
and you
might even
be found
opposing
God
I think
that is
the message
of Acts
in one
sentence
if it
is of
God
you will
not be
able to
stop
them
so
instead
of
killing
them
the
Sanhedrin
has
them
flogged
and tells
them once
again
stop
talking
about
Jesus
an
instruction
that the
apostles
are not
about to
heed
and their
determination
to keep
on doing
exactly
what they've
been told
not to
do
is the
note
that
Acts
5
strikes
again
so verse
41
then they
left
the
presence
of
the
council
rejoicing
that they
were counted
worthy to
suffer
dishonour
for the
name
and every
day
in the
temple
and from
house
to house
they did
not
stop
teaching
and preaching
that the
Christ is
Jesus
and that's
really
the place
to end
for the
chapter
because
that's
what the
chapter
is all
about
it's
about
the
importance
of
obedience
and so
this
chapter
bounces
around
our minds
this
morning
and it
provokes
us
to
freshly
see
why
we
must
as a
church
obey
God
too
the whole
chapter
drives us
in that
direction
Ananias and
Sapphira
remind us
shockingly
we have to
say of
why
obedience
matters
and the
church of
Jesus Christ
is no
place for
disobedience
and the
second half
of the
chapter
the
apostle
set us
an
example
of the
opposite
obedience
verse
29
they say
we must
obey
God
verse
32
they say
God
has
given
his
Holy
Spirit
do you
notice
to who
to
those
who
obey
him
and
verse
42
in
direct
opposition
to the
command
of the
Jewish
leaders
the
apostles
do
what
Jesus
has
asked
them
to
do
they
continue
to
proclaim
the
gospel
and as
the
apostles
obeyed
so
must
!
and so
they
stick
with
the
mission
of
Jesus
opposition
not
withstanding
for two
key reasons
and let me
finish here
first of all
because we
belong
to his
church
and we
should obey
him because
he is the
lord of our
church
it is not
ours
it is
his
it operates
on his
power
it is formed
and nurtured
by his
truth
and when
we sin
against
the
church
we sin
against
him
and when
we need
it to be
corrected
or disciplined
or transformed
it is he
who ultimately
changes us
and Acts 5
reminds us
that the
early churches
of Acts
are just like
churches today
just like our
little church
they are
churches of
Jesus Christ
and we
should obey
him
because we
belong to
his
church
the church
that belongs
to him
and secondly
Acts 5
reminds us
that it's
not just
his church
it's his
mission
and the
mission wasn't
ultimately in the
hands of the
apostles
and it certainly
wasn't in the
hands of the
Jewish elders
and it's not
ultimately in
our hands
either
it's in
Jesus'
hands
the work
of God
in the
world
is the
work that
he directs
and he
progresses
and he
completes
so we
obey him
because we
serve his
mission
we do
what he
would have
us to
do
because our
life's work
is nothing
more and
nothing less
than his
work
and you
and I
live in a
world
don't we
where people
are regularly
telling the
church of
Jesus Christ
stop
talking
about
Jesus
and we
do well
don't we
to heed
the
apostles
persistent
example
of obedience
to God
and disobedience
to the
world
this is a
chapter that
reminds you
and I
that Jesus
is Lord
Jesus is
Lord of
the church
and he is
Lord of
the mission
and he
is the
one we
serve
and he
is the
one we
obey
and Peter
and the
other apostles
replied we
must obey
God
rather than
human beings
so 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
Lord
do
not
stop
let's
pray