I really do wish you'd pray with me and for me. I want my preaching to be effective. I don't want to preach to no avail. I don't want to waste my life without the touch of God on it. And I know we don't always see it as Chad preached this morning. I understand that. I'm not worried about results. If I was, I'd have probably resigned a long time ago. I really just want to be obedient. I want to be obedient. And I would encourage you to be obedient. Because really, that's all that's going to matter when this thing's over. It's not how big a church we have or what we see, but it's whether we've been obedient to our Lord or not. And so I want to be obedient, and I ask you to pray with me and for me this morning. Our dear Heavenly Father, I come to you this morning, and I felt a good sweet spirit in our midst. And Lord, I don't know. I just want to obey you. And Father, I pray if there's any unconfessed sin in my life, Lord, I pray you'd forgive me and make me a vessel of honor. And Lord, I want you to get all the glory. I pray, Father, that you take my feeble effort and use it to be a help to your people. And maybe something said that would convict sinners and draw them toward you. Father, without you it's all in vain. Remove all distractions, my Father, and allow the Holy Spirit free course. Get all the glory. Do an eternal work. May we live eternally changed. And we'll thank you. Give me clarity of thought and speech. Father, I need you. Thy will be done. In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen. Amen. I've been in this early part of the book of Acts and as we approach chapter 5, things are going pretty well. The church has just gotten started. You Bible students know that. Three thousand souls were added to the church at Pentecost. In chapter two and verse 47, it says, and the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved. So we have 2,000 souls and we have souls being saved daily. And then we come to Acts chapter four, verses, verse four through five, or verse four rather, and we have 5,000 souls. that are saved. And so the church is doing quite well as we approach chapter five. And in chapter, we do have a little persecution, I guess I ought to mention that. On the day of Pentecost, they mocked those speaking in the unknown tongues, they mocked them. In chapters two and verse 13, And then they put the apostles in a hold when they healed the lame man in Acts 3, threatened them, told them not to preach in his name anymore. I'd have to look up the verse and just give it to you exactly how it was, but we come to the latter part of verse 4 and they're doing something else. It says, many sold their possessions of houses or lands and laid the money at the apostles' feet. And this crowd that wants to go back to the first century church, I'm sure they'd like to skip over that portion of scripture. And so overall, the point I'm trying to make, as I lead up to chapter five, overall the church was flourishing with the power of God upon it. And I got all worked up last night in the prayer just talking about where's the power of God in our churches today? Now I understand, don't think I'm trying to have another Pentecost. I understand the sign gifts are gone and don't run me in the ditch, but really where is the power of God? Where is it at? Could it be? And you just fill in the blank what you think it could be. Everybody's got an answer. Why there's no power of God in our churches, but I believe, I believe we might could sum it up, it's because there's sin in our life. There's apathy and unconcern. And so that's where we're at. And we know what the problem is, but we can't fix it. We just can't fix it. We can't be unapathetic, if that's a word. All of a sudden, I don't care and I can't make myself care. It takes the Lord to change a heart. We've got sin in our life and we know it. We don't put God first and we know it, but we won't change it. Now that's, I think I'm hitting close to why our churches are where they're at. And it's invaded the pulpits, there's no doubt about that. preachers aren't preaching the word of God, they're telling stories. They're telling their personal opinion and I know sometimes that has to come into play even with the scriptures. You have to give what you think the scriptures say. A lot of folks just telling stories and jokes and there's no preaching from the pulpit. And thus we have immature believers that don't grow. They just don't grow. And it's a frustration many times for them, many times for the fellow in the pulpit who thinks he's doing what he's supposed to and maybe he's not. And so we come to chapter four. It's really a great concern of mine. Let me just say this before I go on. Where is the power of God at? Maybe it's what Chad says. We see one out of three. One out of four rather. That's all we see. And I know we don't operate by faith. We don't go by what we see. We go by the word of God. And we put our faith in that. But let me try to get to my text. As I studied that, that's what's coming to my mind. And then we're going to come to chapter 5 and we're going to look at a family that wasn't right. And I guess I'm way off my little outline this morning and I'll bring it up again, but can I just say our church is, our church, I'll just speak, I'll make it personal. Our church will only be as spiritual as the families that make it up. Now that's scary. I can't make us spiritual. If I had the ability, I would do that, but I can't. And you can't make this church spiritual, but you can make your home spiritual. Well, that's kind of the burden on my heart. Here's a family. I'm gonna be sideways on these notes. I ain't gonna know up from down, but let me just. Here's a family, they're in the church. They're going to church. They're willing to give. They are willing to give to the cause of Christ. They're running with the right people. Yet, they go to an early grave in chastisement. That's what happened. This is church people. I believe they were saved. I don't know what you think, but sinners will get their judgment down the road, but I believe these were saved people. Now, whether they had children or not, I don't know. It doesn't say they did, but you know they had parents. It doesn't say anything about their parents. We're just looking at husband and wife, or if they had children, mom and dad. And on the surface it looks like they're doing everything right. And they died, if you didn't know what was going on and you didn't hear Peter speak, they died giving to the church. That's amazing to me. They died in judgment by God while they were giving to the cause of Christ. That sobers me. I wonder if some of you all are dead. Not lost. Just wonder if you're dead. You identify with the church crowd and you give, but really you're displeasing to God. That's really the burden on my heart and I've got three pages of things I can say here and I'm going to say a few things. I want to look at Ananias as the head of his household. I want to speak for a little while, and I want to look at this downward spiral if we can, how he got started going downward. Now, here is Ananias, and keep in mind, if our homes are not godly, our church won't be godly. I just want you to get that down. Now some of you, I know it comes to my mind, some of you may not be able to get you home godly. It's going to take the Lord. That's just how it is. It's going to take the Lord. But here is Sapphire and Ananias and on the outside they look right but on the inside they're not right. Now I want to say this, Ananias was the head of his household. I want you to turn to Ephesians chapter five. Probably don't emphasize the home enough in my preaching. We're going to let, just hold your place, we're just going to flip right back. I just want to let the scripture penetrate your heart this morning. In Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 21, Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife. Even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Now, that's what the word of God says. I want to say this to the homes in this I started to say auditorium, I don't know if that qualifies, this qualifies as an auditorium, but in this room, in our midst, that God set it up for the man to be the head of the home. You don't have to say amen, you know, everybody in here could say amen, so that's the Bible. How many of our homes are the men the head of? How many homes do we have where the men are really little boys playing and they force the responsibilities of being head of the home on their wives? If I could just say this if you do that your home is defective, spiritually speaking. It's defective. It's not what it ought to be. And can I go a step farther and say your home's in danger? You see, God created the home and he put together some rules and some principles for the home. Much like if you were to buy a piece of machinery and it said put 10 weight oil in this machine and you read that from the owner's manual and you put 40 weight in it, you said, well, that'll work just as well. I know as much as the fellow who manufactured or made this equipment. Can I say you'd be quite foolish? The fellow that manufactures or makes or builds or designs, that machine knows more what's needed than you do, even though you're the owner of it. Amen. And so God designed and implemented this thing of the home, and he made man to be the head of the home. That's God's way. That's God's plan. And if your home's not right, our church won't be right. Head of households, I don't know, I don't like saying it that way, but that's just how it seems like I've got to say it. You head of households have a great responsibility on you. Now we look at Ananias and he is the head of his household. I want you to look in verse 4. This sin is his sin. While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was so, was it not in thine? You know what kind of pronoun thine is? Singular. Thine own power, why hast thou conceived this? Do you know what kind of pronoun thou is? Singular. This thing in thine singular heart, thou singular hast not lied unto men but unto God. Can I say Ananias was the instigator of what's going on here? Dad, I want to say this, and husband, you're the instigator of the biggest part of what goes on in your home. I've seen young children who would have mounted to something for God, Parents, I'll say, let me just stay on the hit house. Their dad wouldn't allow them to. I've seen that. If you really came to me and said, I don't believe that, give me specifics, I could give you specifics. The dad hindered the children and the wife from being what they wanted to be for the glory of God. I've seen that. That's really what Ananias is doing. I want to say this to you. You'll answer to God for it. You be sure about that. You're not getting by. You think you're getting by, maybe you think that, maybe you don't. But I want to reassure you, you will not get by neglecting your duty as head of your household. you won't get by. Have that responsibility. Now, you're gonna ask me in a little while, does the wife have the obligation to submit regardless? Well, God killed her for submitting. Seem to me there's a higher power in her life she should have followed instead of submitting to an ungodly request of her head of household. Y'all follow that logic? And so here is Ananias and Sapphira, and as head of his home, his thoughts, his actions, his sins, all affect not just him, but his family. I don't think he realized it. I want to say to you, I'll tell you why our church is no more spiritual than what it is, our homes are no more spiritual than what they are. And the reason our homes are no more spiritual than what they are, you heads of household are no more godly than what you are. Now I understand some of you doing a good job, I don't want you to think, and really We may be farther down the road than some, but Dan said it this... Dan, everybody's referring to your little talk this morning. But Dan said it this morning, whether you're 10,000 miles from where God is or 9,500 miles from where God is, you're still not where you ought to be. Here's the head of household and he starts on a downward spiral and in the end his home is destroyed. But when we start he's in church and when we start he's running with God's people and he's willing to give. He sold a possession and even though somewhere along the way he first promised he's gonna give it all, I guess, but somewhere along the way he's gonna keep that part, but he's still gonna give. Ain't that where a lot of us are at? We're not gonna give all we can, but we'll give a little part. That's what Ananias said. And can I say to you it cost him his life for playing games with God. Now really God killed him not for what he gave but for lying about what he gave. I don't want you to lose sight of that. It was the lying that really lied to the Lord. And so we see that Ananias was head of his household and his actions and thoughts affected his home and so with you, head of households. I want to tell you those who are head of your house and some of you have godly wives who push you and help you and that's such a blessing. But if you don't have, you're still not excused from being a godly head of household. Amen. Your spiritual decisions, your spiritual direction, and your spiritual state will have significant impact on your family. Now I'm going to say that, and then I want us to start looking at this downward spiral of Ananias. Can I say, first of all, this downward spiral started in his heart. While he was still going to church, while he was still running with God's people, while he was still had it in his heart, I'm going to give something. It started in his heart. Verse 3 says, if you will look at one phrase that Peter spoke, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart? Filled thine heart. And then we come to another phrase in verse 4, why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Here's Peter saying, why Ananias? Why? It was yours, you didn't have to sell it. You didn't have to say you're giving all to the Lord. Why? Why have you allowed Satan to fill thine heart? Why have you conceived? Why did you do it, Ananias? I wanna ask you, why? Are you leaving your family? in a worldly way. Why? Why would you do that to your children and your wife? I don't get it. I'm like Peter, I don't understand why, why in a nice? You had it all, why? It started in his heart. I'll tell you why, because his heart wasn't right. In most cases, sin will begin in the heart. I'd like to say in all cases, and that's a great gulf to make such a broad statement on. But in most cases, sin begins in the heart. It begins in the heart. And I think it did in Ananias, just what I read to you. Why has Satan filled thine heart? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Now here's how the devil works, I'm convinced. It starts with an ungodly thought. Has ungodly thoughts ever crossed your mind? Thought of immorality, head of household. Thought of immorality ever crossed your mind? Has the thought of vengeance ever crossed your mind? When you know the Bible says vengeance is mine, I will repay. Has the thought of prosperity by ungodly means ever crossed your mind? Nobody said yes, but I know the answer. I know the answer. You could ask me and you'd know if I'd be honest, you'd know what my answer would be. The devil runs ungodly thoughts through our mind. Isn't that right? And when those ungodly thoughts come through our mind, at that point we have to make a decision. I'm going to resist this and if the Lord will help me, I'm getting it out of my mind, I'm not going to think on it, or we have to embrace it. And if we embrace, now let me say this, the Bible said, James says, resist the devil and he'll flee from you. But sometimes resisting takes some time. Sometimes a thought comes in your mind, it's not easy to get that out. You don't just say, thought be out of my mind, it's gone. You have to work at getting that thought out of your mind. Get your mind on something else or begin to pray and ask God to help you. If you're not careful, an hour or two later, or maybe even a half a day later, that thought's still trying to get in your mind. You have to have God to help you. The only way to resist, you attempt to resist, but God has to give you victory. But then if you embrace that thought, I think that's what Ananias did. I think the devil came to him and said, hey you can lie about this thing and nobody will ever know and you'll look like a champion and you can be identified with Barnabas and the rest of those that are real and you'll be somebody. And I don't think Ananias put that out of his mind. I think he started dwelling on it. You know I could use that money. You know they wouldn't know. How would they know? Some of y'all may have things hidden in your life that today nobody knows about, at least in the church. And so he starts embracing. He embraces that thought, and as he embraces that thought, he starts adding to it. Well, here's how I could do that. Here's what I could do. Oh, I have to make sure Sapphira's with me on this. And so his greed Leads to lie. Isn't that how it always works? You decide you're going to do wrong, then you have to lie about it. You have to do another wrong, and another wrong, and another wrong. And really before you get through, it takes you farther than you want to go. See Satan, here's what I really think Peter's saying in verse 3. Why have you taken Satan's thought and filled thine heart with it? Why are you letting Satan fill your heart? And here's what happens as you embellish and embrace that wicked thought and start adding to it. Before long, that's all you think about. That's on your mind constantly. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to get even. Here's how I'm going to get even. I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that. I'm going to say this. Wait until he says something else to me. I'm going to do this. I'm waiting. I'll see him there and we'll be together and he'll have something to say. Boy, I'm going to get him. What you're doing and that thing will just start. He'll just overcome you. Have you ever really kind of had hatred for somebody? Can I tell you what that'll do? That'll eat you up. That will consume your mindset. That's where he's at. That's where he's at. My point is this, head of households, when wicked thoughts come into your mind, that's the starting point. You better deal with it at that point. As head of household, the devil will attack you. That's just how it is. And so here he is and the devil says all you're doing is lying. You're just telling a little lie and you're still helping the church out. You're still doing your part. You're doing more than a lot of them are doing. And so here is the head of household and after the devil gets your thought life, he gets your behavior. Ungodly behavior follows ungodly thinking. That's what happened to him. Here he is. He's sitting here thinking all these things. And now he's going to carry them out. I mean, he's got a plan now. And he's still in the church. This guy's still in the church. He's still running with God's people. He's still acting like he's right with God. But judgment's getting ready to fall. Listen, let me just say this to you. Let me just say this to you. When you sin, you sin against God. I might cheat Brother Bud out of some money some way, but who I've really sinned against is God. Listen to what David said in Psalm 51. I wrote this down. Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. When David sinned against... Was it you, Ry? Am I thinking right? When David sinned against you, Ry, We would say he sinned, I just said it, he sinned against Uriah. You know what David said when he prayed? He said, I've sinned against you and you only. It wasn't, it's not Uriah's law that thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not kill, let me get it right. Thou shalt not kill, that's God's law. When you sin and violate God's law, you sinned against God. That makes sin a little more important for us to address. Here's what I would suspect. I wonder if there's any unconfessed sin on our pews this morning. Can I tell you, you've sinned against God. You may have sinned against somebody in the church, but who you've really sinned against is God. And he's going to lie to Peter, but can I tell you who he's really lying to? He's lying to God. He's sinning against God. Peter's going to say that in a little bit. By this, I guess there's so much we could have said here, but I want to say to you, head of households, you're responsible for our church's spirituality. I have a part to play as pastor, I understand that, but for this church to be spiritual and to have the power of God on it, it's on you. And I have my household, and I have my pastoral responsibilities, but the spirituality of this church is on you. And I'm fearful some don't care. I'm fearful of that. How's your house? I don't know. I've not even followed my little notes this morning. I've just really talked to you from my heart. We need some godly homes so we can have a godly church. And we need a godly church so some of these young folk who are lost can get saved. Can the power of God move in our church like it should? Are you responsible? You are to a degree. I want to go to Aitkin. Chapter 7, is it Joshua chapter 7 or 8? One man caused defeat of the whole nation of God's people by sin in his life. Here's what I want. I just want the power of God in our lives and in our churches. I desire that. But it's on you all. on you as your home ride. Here's what I want to do at this point. I even typed them up, but I'm not going to. I was going to hand you out a slip, and it's going to have one through five in a line. And I was going to say to you, I want you to go home and write down five things you need to do to make your home more godly. That's what I wanted to do. If it's not in your heart, that ain't gonna matter anyways. Is your home what it ought to be? Here is Ananias, head of his home, who wasn't what he ought to be, therefore his home wasn't what it ought to have been, and his home suffered destruction. Now here's what you do. If you're carnal, you just laugh that off. It ain't going to happen to me. Look how good. It was good for Ananias for a good while. But the judgment of God failed. Now that's what God gave me to say this morning. And I can tell you I didn't know what I was going to say on Ananias. God is concerned about the purity of His church. You be sure about that. And if you are bringing sin and impurities into the church, you're on dangerous grounds. Let's bow our heads. This morning somebody comes to the piano. God spoke to your heart. I wonder if you'd just obey Him this morning. Just obey Him. As she plays, let the Holy Spirit speak to you. Let Him speak to you.