Dealing with Sin in the Church | Acts 4:32-5:16
The story of Ananias and Sapphira suggests four warnings to help us deal with sin in the church: (1) the occasion—when you least expect it; (2) the expression—looking good on the outside; (3) the valuation—worthy of death; and (4) the implication—the power of holiness. This sermon is part 8 of “Building the Church,” Bryan Craddock’s verse-by-verse sermon series on Acts 1-7.
I have never paid much attention to boxing, but it seems obvious that skilled boxers can’t just rely on one hand. That would make them too predictable. They keep one arm forward for jabbing and blocking. They hold the other one back, waiting for an opening to deliver a crushing blow to knock out their opponent.
Satan uses similar tactics against the church. With one arm he throws hateful jabs through the unbelieving world. He provokes us with insults and restrictions. Sometimes he even hits harder with beatings, imprisonment, even murder. He wants us to get angry so that we see the world as our main threat, but they are not. He is just waiting for an opening to deliver a crushing blow with the other hand by enticing believers into sins that will knock out the church’s witness.
We see this combination in the Book of Acts. In the first part of chapter 4, Peter and John are arrested by the Jewish authorities. They order them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, but Peter says that they must obey God rather than man. So, the council simply threatens them and releases them. It seems like a great triumph, but Satan follows up with a devastating blow inside the church body against a couple named Ananias and Sapphira.
Their story is recorded in Acts 4:32-5:16 and it suggests four warnings to help us deal with sin in the church. You might assume that these warnings are only relevant for church leaders. But sin is personal. We are all under attack, and our individual choices affect the rest of the church. So, we must fight this battle together. The first warning relates to the occasion of the attack.
The Occasion:
When You Least Expect It
You have probably seen the famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware River. It wasn’t the best time of year to be out on a boat. The troops had to push blocks of ice out of the way. It was even more difficult than the painting suggests, because they did it on Christmas night when everyone wanted to be off celebrating beside a cozy fire. But that made it the perfect time for a surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries who were fighting for the British. They were completely off guard.
Satan understands the effectiveness of surprise attacks. He often tempts us when we least expect it--our times of spiritual victory and success. His work is exposed in Acts 5, but it begins during an amazing time in the life of the church. Luke describes it in Acts 4:32-33.
Now the full number of those who believed were of 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. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
God’s power and grace are abundantly evident. The church is thriving in unity and generosity. Luke explains how their giving works in verses 34-35.
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.
Giving this way is not a requirement. The church is not practicing a strict communal lifestyle. People are simply contributing to the ministry of the church and trusting the apostles to use the funds to meet needs. Luke introduces us to one of these generous individuals in verses 36-37.
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Joseph seems to be one of those popular people who stands out. The apostles give him a great nickname--Barnabas, son of encouragement. He is also a descendent of the Levites, the tribe that took care of the Tabernacle and then the Temple. Perhaps that lineage still carries some clout with people, even though he was raised far away from Jerusalem on the island of Cyprus. So, when he joins in giving, everyone notices. What a great example! Everyone should be like Barnabas!
But just when things are going so well, Satan uses Barnabas’ good deed as a lure to entice his victim. Don’t you want to be noticed like that? Wouldn’t it be great if the apostles gave you a nickname? You could work a deal to generate some cash. You wouldn’t have to give them all the money, just enough to make a good impression. No one would know. No one would get hurt.
It was that kind of thinking that first prompted Satan’s rebellion against God. He was originally a glorious angelic being, a guardian cherub (Ezek 28:13-14). But he desired more. He coveted glory and power. He aspired to ascend above the heights of the clouds to make himself like the Most High God (Isa 14:14). He failed and was cast down, but he still entices humans with the same vain ambition that he has.
Jesus warns us about one form of this ambition in his Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:1 tells us that he said,
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
He then gives examples of how people succumb to this temptation. They do it when they give, sounding a trumpet literally or figuratively to make sure that everyone knows. That's the temptation in our Acts passage, but Jesus mentions others. Some try to impress others with prayer, looking spiritual and using impressive words. Others show off their anguish when they are fasting. Any good deed can be twisted into an attempt to seek attention.
So, Satan attacks when we least expect it--at our most spiritual moments when things are going great. He attacks when we are weak too, but there is something particularly devastating when our best deeds become corrupt. We must remember that Satan is perfectly at home in the church. In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Paul says that he disguises himself as an angel of light and his servants as servants of righteousness.
What should we do? Stay alert! Understand the enemy. Don’t fall for seeing the world’s jabs as the main attack, and don’t drop your guard. Remember Peter’s words in 1 Peter 5:8.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
As we continue in Acts, Luke warns us about what happens when we act upon that impulse to seek attention.
The Expression:
Looking Good on the Outside
The dishwasher is a great invention. It’s like a magic box. You load it up with dirty dishes, push a button, and they come out clean. But sometimes a bowl ends up facing the side, and the jets of water cannot reach the dirtiest part. It’s bright and shiny on the outside, but the inside is untouched.
Dishwashers are a modern invention, but Jesus identified a similar problem that can occur in someone’s spiritual life. He saw it in the Pharisees. Matthew 23:25 tells us that he said,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
When Jesus said this, the scribes and Pharisees were not following him. So, you might think that faith in him would fix the problem. But Luke finds the same distorted expression of spirituality within the church. In Acts 5:1-2, he tells us,
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.
Ananias is the Greek form of the popular Hebrew name, Hananiah, which speaks of being favored by the Lord. His wife is named after the sapphire; a precious stone associated with the presence of God. They might have had a great spiritual heritage, but they covet recognition and approval from the church. They are in this scheme together, but we will see in a moment that Ananias is the one who initiates it.
He goes alone to give the money to the apostles, but he doesn’t receive the response that he's looking for. The Lord enables Peter to see through his spiritual facade. Verse 3 tells us,
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?
There is nothing inherently wrong with donating a portion of the money. The problem is that Ananias lies about it and pretends to give it all. Peter recognizes this as Satan’s work, but that does not absolve Ananias of responsibility. Just as believers can choose to be filled with the Spirit, Ananias allows Satan to fill his heart. He does this by accepting Satan’s lies and letting them guide his actions.
As Peter continues, we learn that the situation is even more convoluted than it first seems. Verse 4 tells us that he says,
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 man but to God."
It is not clear what the exact situation is. Even though Ananias claims otherwise, the property is still under his control. He is acting deceptively, violating people’s trust. Beneath that act is the foolish belief that he can deceive God as well.
Aren’t we all guilty of making that assumption? Isn’t that how we think every time we sin? Wouldn’t we behave differently if Jesus were physically present in the room? Why do we think that we can get away with it? First Samuel 16:7b says,
For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
God is all knowing and is spiritually present everywhere. In Psalm 139:12, David says, “even the darkness is not dark to you.” Plus, New Testament believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He is aware of every desire, thought, and motive.
We must not listen to Satan’s lies. God cannot be deceived. Nothing is hidden from him. When we are tempted to look good on the outside, we must remind ourselves of the knowledge and presence of God. What’s the cost of failing to do so?
The Valuation:
Worthy of Death
The valuation of sin is made clear in the Old Testament Law. Leviticus 5:6 required the sacrificial death of a lamb. This offering would atone for deeds like failing to testify when you have witnessed a crime, touching something unclean, or uttering a rash oath. Leviticus 6 says that for deceiving your neighbor in some breach of faith, the sacrifice of a ram was required.
Every single violation demanded a death, so the sacrifices were never finished. The author of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews argues in Hebrews 10:4 that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. No animal can truly take a sinner’s place. That is why Jesus died for us. He offered himself as the once for all perfect sacrifice that opens the way for all who believe to receive eternal life (Heb 9:11-15; 10:10,14).
But there is a danger for those who know this good news. We can minimize sin and take God’s grace and mercy for granted. We forget that every sinful deed deserves death, but sometimes God may choose to remind us. That is what happens with Ananias. Acts 5:5-6 says,
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
Is his death merely a coincidence? Did the stress of having his sin exposed trigger a heart attack or something? Was the people’s fear an expression of superstition? The Greek term translated “breathed his last” suggests otherwise. Luke uses it in Acts 12:23 to describe how Herod dies after being struck down by an angel.
We must also take into account the rest of the story. Acts 5:7-10 tells us,
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 men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
You might wonder how it is possible that her husband could die and be buried without her knowledge. There were no mobile phones! Perhaps they were unable to find her because she was visiting a friend. When she shows up, she is not aware of what happened and is probably expecting applause. The room must have been awkwardly silent.
Peter questions her and gives her the opportunity to confess, but she repeats the lie. Did she do it out of submission and fear or out of her own desire for attention? Her motive is not revealed, but she is held equally responsible. Peter describes their sin as testing the Spirit. That is what the people of Israel did when they lacked water during the Exodus. Exodus 17:7 says that they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” They cynically dared him to prove his existence. In that case, God showed them mercy, but Ananias and Sapphire experience his judgment.
It is not common for God to strike down people like this, but there are a few instances of it in the Old Testament. When the Tabernacle was first constructed, it happened to Nadab and Abihu. Leviticus 10 tells us that they had just become priests, and they offered up strange fire rather than burning the incense that God had commanded. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them. Numbers 16 tells us that something similar happened later when 250 men led by a man named Korah insisted on serving as priests. Then 2 Samuel 6 speaks of a man named Uzzah who was struck down for touching the ark of the covenant while trying to transport it on an ox cart.
In each case, these people failed to fear God and treat him as holy. These situations also occur at pivotal times in the unfolding of God’s plan--right after the Exodus, right before entering the promised land, and right at the beginning of David’s reign as king. Perhaps it is not surprising then that God would bring swift judgment upon such sin in the early days of the church. But this is probably not the only instance in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 11:27-31, Paul writes,
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
Jesus established the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of his death. It is called the eucharist because it reminds us to give thanks for what he has done. It is called communion because it symbolizes our union with Christ. But some in Corinth seem to have turned it into a drunken feast. Paul’s point is that we should not partake in a way that mocks the gospel.
We are each responsible to examine ourselves and to repent of any sins that we have committed, but the church also bears responsibility. If we fear God and believe that sin is worthy of death, then we should be concerned when a brother or sister in Christ persists in sinful behavior. We should gently raise the matter with them in private. Our goal is not to condemn but to help each other overcome sin and walk in holiness.
In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus explains the steps to take when someone refuses to listen. Ultimately, someone may need to be excluded from fellowship (1 Cor 5:11). The hope is that they will recognize the gravity of their sin and come to repentance, but if not another purpose is served. Luke shows the implication of dealing with sin as he continues his narrative in Acts.
The Implication:
Holiness is Powerful
Salt is easily accessible for most of us. You might even eat too much of it. So, we may not grasp how important it is. It helps regulate the amount of water in and around our cells. It enables electrical signals to travel through our nerves, affecting muscle control and brain function. Salt is essential for life.
It was such a valuable commodity in the ancient world that it was sometimes used to compensate Roman soldiers. That’s where we get the word salary. One of its primary uses was for preserving meat before there were refrigerators. Perhaps that is what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 5:13, when he said,
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
Jesus does not explicitly define what makes us salty. He moves on to speak of shining the light through doing good works. Then he talks about true obedience to God’s commands. So, one implication of ignoring sin is that it saps our saltiness.
Luke, however, shows us the power of holiness through what happens after the Lord deals with the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. He starts in Acts 5:11-13 by saying,
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.
The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira make people afraid, but that is not a bad thing. Those in the church are reminded to be sincere and reverent. It’s too dangerous to play games and mess around with sin. Those outside the church keep their distance, but they also recognize the integrity of the believers.
So, the holiness of the church in combination with the powerful signs that were taking place serve to validate the gospel. In verses 14-15, Luke says,
And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.
At times, people have argued that to attract the lost, the church must tone down its message and relax its moral standards. But this passage suggests that the opposite is true. Genuine holiness and reverent fear are the salt that the world needs. Believers should never be condescending toward the world. It’s wrong to suggest that people need to clean up their life before they can come to Christ. That’s impossible. We are all sinners who are only saved by the grace of God. But those who are saved should reflect the transforming power of the gospel in how we live.
Outsiders did not necessarily understand what the church was about. But they were so convinced that something powerful was happening that they became somewhat superstitious about it. Luke does not say that Peter’s shadow had healing power, but in verse 16 he does say,
The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
The Lord gave the apostles the gift of healing as a sign to confirm their message. We may not have that ability, but we can pray for people to be healed of their physical afflictions. We can also reflect the power of God’s holiness by living in reverent obedience. If we don’t, we undermine our mission.
__________
As the church, we must deal with sin in our midst. We must stay alert, knowing that Satan often attacks during those occasions when you least expect it. We must resist the lie that you only need to look good on the outside. God sees the heart. He’s not deceived. We must remember that every sin is worthy of death. That’s key to being grateful for Christ’s sacrifice and honoring it in how we live. Finally, we must see that God works powerfully to fulfill our mission through our pursuit of holiness.
Do you find this passage scary? The holiness of God is sobering. But we find comfort in his grace and in the good news that Jesus died to rescue us from our sin. So, if you have never done so, I encourage you to receive God’s grace through faith in Christ. If you want to learn more about God’s heart for saving the lost and his plan to deal with sin in the church, I encourage you to read Matthew 18.
If you are a believer, is there a sin of which you need to repent? Have you fallen into the trap of looking good on the outside while something else is going on in your heart? If so, confess that to the Lord and believe in the forgiveness that is ours in Christ. Perhaps you know a fellow believer who is persisting in sin. That is too dangerous to overlook. Would you humbly reprove them?
May we grow in holiness together for the glory of God!
Reflect
What are other ways that someone might be tempted to put on a show and seek attention in the church?
If you were caught up in a sin and needed to be reproved, how would you want someone to do it?
What would you say to someone who feels that the church is a bunch of hypocrites?