ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA


A. "BUT A MAN NAMED ANANIAS WITH SAPPHIRA HIS WIFE SOLD A POSSESSION AND KEPT BACK PART OF THE PRICE, HIS WIFE ALSO BEING PRIVY TO IT, AND BROUGHT A CERTAIN PART AND LAID IT AT THE APOSTLES FEET" - ACTS 5:1-11
  1. So begins the story that brought death:
    1. To Ananias and his wife Sapphira for attempting to lie to the Holy Spirit
    2. It must have been awesome to see them fall dead in the assembly of the saints
  2. The swift punishment of two pretenders was chronicled in Holy Writ for a special purpose:
    1. "For our learning, upon whom the ends of the worlds are come" - I Cor. 10:11
    2. Their experience shows the terribleness of sin - 2 Cor. 5:11
B. ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA
  1. Two nominal disciples in the early church:
    1. Evidently heard that Barnabas and other devout believers had sold their possessions and laid the proceeds upon the altar for the work of soul-winning - Acts 2:46-47
    2. They decided to sell their property and give to the work of the church - that in itself was proper
    3. What made it sinful was their design to lie to the Holy Spirit about that presentation before the apostles
  2. What happened to them shows the seriousness of hypocrisy:
    1. The experience of Ananias and Sapphira shows what the portion of the hypocrites will be - Matt. 24:48-51
    2. "For the congregation of the hypocrites shall be desolate" - Job 15:34
    3. "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?" - Job 27:8
  3. It shows further:
    1. That marriage to a perpetrator is no license to sin - God still deals with us as individuals and holds us accountable for our conduct
    2. That was fully demonstrated in the experience of Ananias and Sapphira
C. A SERIOUS AND INFORMATIVE LESSON FOR US TO PONDER
  1. The satanically inspired deception of Ananias and Sapphira:
    1. To deceive the apostles and lie to the Holy Ghost was the first gross act of hypocrisy in the early church
    2. The justification of the severe punishment meted out to them served notice to all who will use the cloak of religion to practice deceit - I Cor. 10:11
  2. Let married believers take notice:
    1. That marriage does not give license to either one of the contracting parties to participate in sin; Examples: - Achan and his family - Joshua 7:1-20; in sharp contrast Nabal and Abigail - I Sam. 25:5-38
  3. The experience of Ananias and Sapphira shows conclusively:
    1. That any willful sin can become the unpardonable sin - lying, stealing, resisting the truth, willful disobedience and kindred works of the flesh - Gal. 5:19-21
    2. One is awed what would happen in the church if the hypocrites in the church would meet the sudden punishment that Ananias met in their day
  4. Sapphira was given a chance to save her soul:
    1. Had she been honest and serious in her attitude toward right and wrong; she would have answered Peter's question negatively; she would have said, "No Sir, that is not the price we got for our property"
    2. But instead of telling the truth, she joined her husband in telling a lie - also she joined him in the penalty of sin - in death
  5. What a warning to all of us:
    1. Let us take our profession to the faith more seriously - Phil. 2:12-13
    2. Let us be sterling honest with ourselves, with God and with men - Acts 24:16


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