It's a joy, it's a joy to return to the pulpit to bring God's Word. Once again, it's been a number of weeks that I have not been able to preach here. Last time, the passage we looked at, surely those who listened to it It was an exciting passage as we saw the power of the gospel. We saw the power of the gospel in three specific ways. We saw the power of the gospel creating unity among believers. powerful unity, a unique unity. But also we saw the power in the preaching that these apostles preached powerfully. And then we saw how the same gospel produced a heart of caring for one another. All that is basically a summary of chapter four, verses 32 to 37. I hope you remember what we saw last time. Now, friends, as we move passage. In a sense, you would wish Ataturk to go back to chapter 4. Why should we move to chapter 5? In fact, put it differently. Why? Why did God allow Mook to record chapter 5, verses 1 to 11? Why? you are a keen reader of God's Word, you'd be able to ask that question in your mind, if not, aloud. Because we want to see this morning Not only that the gospel is powerful, of that we have seen, we've seen its power in unity, in preaching, in caring for one another, but then today we are seeing something of the seriousness of sin. Sin is And particularly, we are going to see the scene of hypocrisy. Now, that sounds like a big word. Children, please listen to me. Who is a hypocrite? If someone says, ah, you are a hypocrite, who is a hypocrite? Now, let me explain. in a way surely you should be able to understand. In school, Often there is what we call drama or acting, you know, in the school. And maybe some of you are found to be good to act like someone else. You may even act and claim that you are a lion. So you are acting the part of a lion. Another one acts if he's tall in the class. maybe they would be acting the part of a giraffe. And so you play some games, acting, maybe at this stage. And you scare the rest of your classmates and schoolmates as you act a lion. The other one, a giraffe. The other one, maybe a snake. I don't know how to act a snake, but just imagine. So you are playing something that you are not. Okay? Now, if those illustrations don't help you, these surely will help you. There are those, some specific people. I mean, if someone tried it, no one will guess, oh, that is, he's playing to be Ogalov. Who am I? But think of a few people that we know in politics. And so when they are playing the part and claiming to be Raila, I can't even try it. But when they're doing it, it's like, wow. You turn your head back and forth. Wow, this person is gifted. Maybe the other one may act like the later President Kibaki, with the phrases that he used to make, are not making sense. These people are acting what they are not. Okay, you know what the English word for them actually is? They are hypocrites. Someone playing what they are not. And in Swahili, they are called Listen to this one, and I know you do this. Munafik. Munafik. If you were playing something, if someone says, you're not being honest, you're saying this, but you know you're doing munafik. And they may even tell you what you're munafik. Don't play hypocrisy here. So, I hope I have shown you. Now, why all that illustration? That is important for what we are going to see in chapter five, the first 11 verses. The sin of Unnati, God hates it, and God allowed it to be written here, to be recorded here, for our warning, for our good, So with that introduction, let me read the first 11 verses of chapter 5, and then we'll plunge straight into what we want to see. This is what we read, and the first word in chapter 5 is, but. And that is because already in the end of chapter 4, we were told how the gospel produced a heart of caring for each other in the new church in Jerusalem. They cared for one another so much that people even sold their property and brought to the apostles and said, our apostles, use this money wherever you see fit for the needy, the needy people in our midst. And then we were told one example, a man called Joseph, who was called by the apostles Barnabas. Why? His name means encouragement. He also sold, you know, he sold a piece of film that brought the money to the apostles. But, chapter five, verse one, 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 Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to give back for yourself a part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Praise it that you have contrived this deed in your heart. You have not lied to man, but to God. When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. Basically, he died. fell down and died, and great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young man rose and wrapped him up, and carried him out, and buried him." Verse 7. 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. Peter, but Peter said to her, how is it that you have agreed together? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.' And immediately, verse 10, she fell down at his feet and breathed his last. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. and great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. I'm not sure whether this is the kind of a passage this church this morning. You may have come loaded with issues in your heart and it's like, Lord, I just want to go to that church. They're not so noisy, so hopefully I'm going to listen to some encouraging stuff so that I go home encouraged. Friends, I want to encourage you. Thank God you've come. It is my aim to encourage you, but I want to make sure I encourage you from God's Word, with God's Word. And that's why we are looking at this passage. This, by the way, is one of those beautiful things we go through. When we take a passage of the Bible, we go through every portion of it. to the end. That way, you do not, we cannot sideline this passage. It is here before us. We must tackle it. Now, as we come to this passage, I have called it the sin of hypocrisy. The sin of hypocrisy. And it's a bad sin, as we are going to see. And children, please, I took Those moments were laser. What is hypocrisy? So for you, please don't switch off. I just have three points, and I trust they will flow from our passage, and that's why you need to make sure you follow closely. Number one is just to understand who this Kapo was. The couple Ananias and Sapphira. Who are they? What about them? You see, something about their name. This is really a unique couple. Something about their name is simply this. For Ananias, his name actually means God is gracious. Some of our names don't make much sense, at least mine, Naftali, I got it from someone from the Old Testament and later I realized, oh, it's that tribe, something said about it is like a deer let loose that produces beautiful words. I hope I do. But the point of Ananias is that He is describing God as gracious, as what is behind his name. And then for his dear wife, Sapphira, actually it means beautiful. But behind these two wonderful names, God is gracious on the one hand, beautiful on the other. Behind these names, we find hidden real characters who are hypocrites. You see in this passage, like others in this early church, this newly formed church, infant church, Like others, they sold land for the purpose of helping the poor people. Remember, there were so many poor people. People are coming to Jerusalem during the Passover. They received the gospel. They had stayed there much longer. If they travel back immediately to their homes, they will not hear the apostles teaching. And so, people stayed much longer in Jerusalem. And the longer you stay in a strange place, your money gets drained. But they become believers, they're members of this church. And so they needed help. Those who had means, those who had a little more than And what they brought was to be helped. It was to help the poor believers there. And so this couple with wonderful names sold their land to help the poor. But then we are told in this passage that they kept part of the money. They kept part of the money after selling their property. but gave the apostles the idea that all the money they had received from the sale, they have presented for the Lord's use. You see, by what they did, they give themselves the prominence, they give themselves the recognition They gave themselves the idea that they were generous. However, they covered their real motive of deceit. I hope you see how that idea of hypocrisy comes. They sell the land, they agree as a couple that will only accept so much. Let's leave this aside for the future use. But then as they bring this, they say, here we are, we've sold the land. This is what we've gotten for the selling of the land. In so doing, they deceived the community of God's people. Till Peter, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, saw what they did and exposed them. Their hypocrisy was just exposed. And Peter, at that moment, pronounced God's displeasure upon Ananias. And God's judgment did not delay. Did not delay at all. Wow, my friends. Peter. He's showing us here. And actually, he showed Ananias. Ananias, I don't understand what's gone into you, Ananias. Please, look with me and persevere. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan fed your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to give back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? You see, Peter actually goes on to challenge him in verse four, just to reason with him. Verse four, 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. You see, Peter is pointing out to the lies. The property was yours, surely. That's where it begins. It was yours. And there's no indication here. No, this was his. And then as a couple, they decided to sell it. And even when they sold it, and they got the money, It was still their money. So in other words, even when they saw it and the money was in their hand, in the bag, or whatever it was, they were free as a couple to use it for whatever. And maybe you may be asking, ah, then what is their sin anyway? It is just this, choosing to lie, choosing to lie by saying one thing and doing another thing. Friends, I hope you see that. So much so that Peter, and I read verse four again, So why is it that you have tried this thing? Why have you become a hypocrite? Why are you saying one thing when you are actually doing another thing? And Ananias was overwhelmed. And actually, the passage tells us, end of verse five, or there in verse five, when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and prayed his last. And as I say, he basically died. Now this is in the church. In the church that just a while back had experienced that power of the gospel, a sense of preaching of the gospel was so powerful. It produces an amazing care for one another. That those who heard the gospel, those who the Lord had saved, felt, I'm not just going to be my house full. And so they gave their property. And so here, this couple sold out their land to that purpose. Well, he died. And when challenged about the conspiracy there in verse 7, she admitted. And she also died, collapsed. And the burial, of course, in Israel, that's their practice, and definitely at this time we didn't take too long with a dead person. And also the nature of their death, of the course of their death, is just something that the apostles may have said, listen, God's curse is upon these people. And we're not going to dim, darling. We're not going to delay. Must be buried immediately. So the lioness is buried immediately. Three hours later, madame is to be buried. Friends, this is the real gospel we preach. It's a passage in the Bible and we cannot escape it. And so, This is Mr. Admesis Ananias in the Church of God. That's the God we deal with. Just the fact that he has not stricken someone here last week dead should not cause us to think he has changed. No, he has not changed. He has spared us so that we may listen to this passage. In the second place, having then learned something about this couple. Why is such a sin? You know, this couple had claimed salvation. They claimed to be saved. The apostles must have listened to their testimony. Until then, fine, you are part of God's people. They were baptized, they were written down. Their number added to that which was already there. So what went wrong? They made their way to the membership, by the way, that's why we say. Because so often, dear brethren, so often, and I'm speaking to you members, and to you who desire to be members, often we go through so much struggle listening to testimonies. And when things are not clear, we even tell you, no, no, no, please go and think through again. Go and think about this. But often, when some of you make it to the membership, it's like, wow, I made it. And then what happens? I made it, I made it. You know what? Ananias and Sapphire also made it to the membership. And they even sought prominence. It's not sufficient to make it to the membership. It's not sufficient to give to the Church of Christ. So the question we must ask, what then went wrong? What went wrong? Because really, apart from the normal, regular giving that they must have given, as the Lord blessed them, In fact, it was no demand upon anyone in this church to sell their property. No demand. People just did as their hearts convinced them. Look, I have more than I need and my brother, my sister in the church or a number of people in the church don't have. Let me dispose this, let me sell this so that I take the money to the church so it can be used on others. We saw that last time. So there was no demand laid upon them. However, this was the problem, dear friends. the wrong they did. And here it goes, they honored the feet of the apostle more than the eye of God. I'm basically quoting someone who summarized it so succinctly that way. They honored the feast of the apostle more than the eye of God. What am I saying? Well, it is right there. It's right there. There in the end of verse two. I'll read verse two. 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 apostle's feet. Now, that's what we need. So, their aim was to reach church with something in their hand. It's like, wow! So, it's not only Joseph, also called Banderas, but it's here also another couple, Ananias. They've also brought their own thing. Wow! They wanted to be seen. But their heart, their motive was not right. We are dealing with very hard matters, my friends, this morning. the motive. Please turn with me to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. There in verses 1 to 4, this is what we read. Let me read Matthew 6.1. Beware! Beware! In other words, we have been warned. By who? The Lord Jesus himself. Beware of practicing your righteousness. before other people in order to be seen by them. For them, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound your trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets. They may be praised by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left so that your giving may be in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you. Well, friends, this is the God we are worshiping. Actually, it's a God who sees in secret. Things done in secret, he sees. Nothing escapes him. But things done, the word of warning, he is not pleased with such. So with that then, let's just see. of their sin, the nature of their sin. And there are three things that we see with this sin of theirs, this sin of the Apocalypse. One, surely they despised God. They despised God. You see, though they knew that God sees things done secretly, they acted in deception, and they went ahead ignoring God's judgment. They went ahead ignoring all that. They had been taught, but they ignored it. Outwardly they acted generously, but inwardly They have believed Satan's lie. They have believed Satan's lie. What is Satan's lie? Those of you who know your Bibles, you know that they're in Genesis, Genesis chapter three, verse four. That's where we get Satan's lie. And what we read there, Genesis three, verse four. But the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. God had clearly stated this. The day you eat of this, you will die. Satan says, come on, you will not surely die. So they kneel. What God demands, they ignore. So they despise God. Basically, they're arguing. We're just lying to men anyway. I mean, so here, I'm taking this and I'm... I don't want to tell anyone. I'm taking this and we'll just claim that's what we have thought. Am I making sense, dear friends? You know the truth about your situation? But as you speak about that situation with others, you twist it. You twist it to get praise, to get honor, to get benefits. When the person you are speaking to may not know, and you may get away with it. Does that point raise any awareness in you? Is your conscience saying, oh, okay, if that's the case, I see, I see, that's relevant to me. It's not once, it's not twice. Or in your case, are you saying, oh, you've never done anything to despise God? By presenting a matter, when we all alone know that actually this is the state of things. You know, preaching this sermon is not easy. I mean, I stand here, I'm not perfect. I do not come here to bring any passage of scripture because I know that doesn't affect me. So let me go give it to them. It is so hard preaching this sermon. because it's also touching me. And Ananias did not realise, I mean he knew but he didn't care about it, that lying to men is ultimately lying to God. In fact that's what he's told. You are not lying to men, yeah? You thought that's what you were doing, that you're just lying to men, these apostles. I'm just lying to them. No! End of verse four tells us, you are lying to God. When you don't like it, say, blind to God. Basically, you put your will on the throne of God. In fact, to a point where you ask, now what I do? Now what I do? I hope that phrase, we have had it somewhere. So yes, Ananias has brought, initially the apostles, You know, they were just going to receive it. But the Holy Spirit reveals to Peter, Peter, just hold on. Peter, there is work to be done. And so God, who was being mocked and despised, through Peter says, no, this is not going to pass. That's the God we are dealing with. So, They despised God. In the second place, they demonstrated unbelief. They demonstrated, surely, a heart of hearts of unbelief. You see, a true believer does not live plainly in deceit. Now, the fact that we fall into sin is terrible, it's terrible. But for one who would be considered a true believer to move on and scheme and plan and execute. That is the demonstration of unbelief. and they think they're believers, but they are not. And I'm sorry, does this touch some grown-up in your own conscience? You claim to be a believer, but involved in planning Maybe something has frustrated you so that your plan has not been executed. You have not done it yet, but actually you are in the process of carrying out a deception. And you claim to be a believer. If you do, then let me tell you, don't wait to be treated like an announce. Answer her. Holden drops dead. If you don't wait, in other words, please confess your sin and repent, repent. This is when it can be of good to you. So they demonstrated unbelief. But in the third place, they despised the Church of Christ. They despised the Church of Christ. You see, this couple, on the Nile Sands of Iowa, they were desperate so desperate to win approval of God's people that they actually were willing to spend money, by that I mean, to let go of their property. So they let go of this property. They were prepared to abuse the mercy ministry. At least in our church, we call it mercy ministry, where if there is some money, we put it together and we can go and buy some food and distribute to a few needy families. We call it mercy ministry. But just think about it, if such a ministry, what is expected to come into it, then one takes a portion of it away. So they are busy. And so we ask the question, but why were they judged so severely, surely? Why? You see, if their sin was not dealt with and dealt with severely, then you know what? Sin would have stopped the advancement So God acted swiftly and decisively to preserve his church. By the way, it's all in line with what Dick and Clinton led us through this morning, there in chapter 16, verse 5, our memory verse. The verse beautifully says, so the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. Now just imagine if such sin of an Annihilation Sapphira was just let off the hook as it was. You just think of what would have happened. God acted the way he did. Now, in the third place, close to that last point I've made, but in the third place, what was God teaching the church? What was God teaching the church? Again, we must ask the question, Why did God allow Dr. Luke to actually record, pin down, and have his own, God's own blessing upon these? So that a part of the book of Acts should actually bear Acts chapter one, verses one to 11. You know what? Chapter five, verses one to 11. Just imagine, it would have been a wonderful success story if we read it. Chapter four, all the way to verse 37, how this man sold that field belonging to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostle's feet. That's end of chapter four, verse 37. Then, we just move to chapter five, verse 12. Now, many signs and wonders were regularly done. You know, come on, Luke, why don't you just make your thesis Why do you have basically chapter 5 verses 1 to 11 like a sticking off thing? Why? Well, friends, if you look at the book of Proverbs, the book of Proverbs, and there in verses 15, chapter 15, verse 8 of Proverbs, Proverbs, this great book of wisdom, but chapter 15, verse 8, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. So, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And because it is an abomination to the Lord, the Lord will not you know, have it as it was sitting down. The Lord will not say, that's okay, that's okay, I mean, my church needs money, that's okay. And my church must grow, so if I'm to do anything that two of the members be removed from the membership, no, no, no, no, that is not the goal. in that way, you are wrong. You know what? God does not need us. God does not need any of us. So if we joke around, if we play around with our sacrifices, which anyway ought to be His, He's the one who's given us everything. And so if we do not use what we have for Him, for His glory, sacrificially, Please, what happened to these people? It's not too much. Even though God is a long-suffering God, He is that person who does not accept the sacrifice of the wicked, because it's abomination to Him. To what end? Look at therefore what God was desiring to have. Why God? Why are you doing that? Verse 11. This is now the outcome. And great fear came upon the whole church. Great fear came upon all, not only the members as the church, the first time the word church is used for this body of people, but scientists, even the non-church members. They heard these things and they feared. They feared. Quickly, let me give just two areas of application. In the one hand, I apply this to those whom you are here but you know you are not saved. That you are here shows you are religious. Even a friend may have just persuaded you, come, please, let's just go. It'll be at no cost of you, just come. Surely you are religious, and if you are not, now you have heard about this God we are preaching. You've heard. This God is telling you, fear me and be wise. That's the message. If today you leave this church knowing that God demands from me to fear Him that I be wise, friend, you've gotten the message. He wants you to fear Him and be wise. You see, you may have heard this story today as I've been trying to interject a few times and saying, ah, they shouldn't have even been in the Bible. In fact, nothing much would have been missed. It goes in the 11 verses of Anna in her reading of Mambo. And so you may say, no, this is too painful for this couple, too harsh on them. Let me tell you. If you die in your sin, without genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will end up like Ananias and Sapphira. You will perish. You know, that is why I get emotional about it. Because God really wanted His church to be emotional about it. So much so that fear came upon all. You don't read a passage like this and say, ah, okay, that's fine, we'll wait till next Sunday. Don't wait, please, don't wait. If you do not have a living, genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, You're in danger, just like Sapphira and Ananias. So please, this is the opportunity you have. Confess your sin, turn to God, or else. for the unsaved. In the membership of this church, this is a message for all and so verse 11 once again, and great fear came upon the whole church. This passage is to bring fear upon all. You are here and you are saying, yeah, by grace, it's only by grace that God has saved me. This passage offers hope. If you're a member of the Lord's Church, but you read a passage like this and it scares you. It's like, what? Could I be the next person? I know in this church, no one has dropped dead. But could it be me? Will I survive another week, another month? Will I continue in this church, or I'm only turned to be like an annihilated supplier? Certainly, this couple provide a warning to every one of us, a warning. But I also want to tell you, the Lord is building His church. This is the encouraging point. The Lord is building His church. And you know what? He has fought. He has fought. Sorry, there's so much movement in the church. Why are people going out, back and forth? It is very frustrating. I'm sorry to just stop in the middle of my sermon, but I think if ushers are at the door and checking what is happening, there is no need for people to move back and forth when a passage like this is being taught. The Lord is building his church. He has fought. and if you think he has not or if you have forgotten just just chapter four just remember there in chapter four we saw something in uh you see these two peter and john they've been so frustrated before the council they even wanted to now go away never speak again on this christ Don't say to anyone again that he has wasted. Now they left the presence of the council, they went away to their own people, reported this matter, and just listen to what he's saying, verse 27. For truly in this city they were gathered together against you, against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. So there are forces against the Lord and the building of his church. But you see, he has fought against all these forces and he has become victorious. He has won. If you like, those are the forces from outside. the terrible hindrance we get from the voice members. So much so that when the Bible study is going on, we can hardly hear what the preacher is seeking to explain. But it's so easy to say, at least, let's just forget that. Let's tune the voice, you know, the PA system to be higher, to drown that. And it reaches a point where, yeah, okay, now we can You know what? It's easy for us to get cozy, because the problems from outside have kind of dealt with. But you know what? It's not done yet. The point I'm making then is, while the challenges from outside may be blocked, there is also challenges from within. These were members in the church. Prominence! So they sought prominence. And the Lord, remember what I am seeking to build at the very last point. God is building his church. The forces against his church from outside, he has blocked them, he has blocked them. The church is moving on. Unity, the gospel, the care of one another. Lord behold, right from within, deception, hypocrisy. Is God going to say, no, no, no, my church is doing well? No. No. You know what he does? Even right inside his church, for those who are hypocrites, for those who deceive, for those who don't bring him all glory, he crushes them. He does. The question is, but Pastor, you are claiming that you are giving us the final point of encouragement. What is encouraging in what you are saying? It's just this. No forces set against the Church of Christ will prevail. No forces set against the Church of Christ will prevail. Forces from outside, God knows how to deal with them. In fact, the apostles told God in their prayer in chapter 4, verse 29, and now, Lord, you look upon their threats. Basically, Lord, sort them out. Deal with them. But for us, give us such power. We continue to preach the gospel. But then, as we are continuing to preach the gospel, there's danger brewing within. And the Lord is saying, give back to me. What? My church must succeed. That is my encouragement to true believers here today. And what is it put in a different way? The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church. If you're a member of Christ's church, if you're a true believer joined in a local continue to serve God there, and indeed, in relevance to where we are, continue to serve God in this place, we may be filled, we may remain filled. In fact, we may even remain or go less when the Lord comes to purge this church. And some must be dealt with. So much so, and we wait to receive chapter five verse 12 going onwards, but also as the deacon showed us this morning in the memory verse, the church of God is multiplied, multiplied. But God will not allow his church to multiply with sin coating it, with sin tainting it. in my life. I better deal with it. I better deal with it. You know what? One may escape so that as elders and as members you may not see your sin. But God who sees in secret will not allow your sin. you preach the time of entering heaven. You don't enter heaven with your sin. Deal with it now. Deal with it now. Lord our God, we thank you for your word. Ordinarily, we would have never been known that there was an Ananias and a Sapphira in the Bible if the first 11 verses of chapter 5 of Acts were just removed. We could have made smooth reading that you wanted us to see. You are holy and you are built in a holy church. So now, deal with each one of us. Deal with each one of us graciously, please, because Christ has died. That's why we are preaching the gospel this morning. It's not just judgment and then we walk away. Christ is there. Christ took the judgment which should have been ours. I pray, Lord, for those who have been in this church numerously, but they continue in sin. I plead with you. that before you remove them from this sin, and it may not be drastically like the case of Ananias and Sapphira, everything may happen. You may remove them from this place so that they don't hear the gospel again. This is the opportunity to be saved. Peace, Lord, may they therefore look to Christ now, and find forgiveness and acceptance, and that the Holy Spirit may be upon them truly. For the rest who name your name in this church. Lord, we pray, if any of you think this is just the case, Take us. Take me. Use me. With all that I have, use it for your glory. Use it for your glory. Lord, hear our prayer. Please, from this, out of my surrounding turf, Passage easily avoided. Please bring good. Please bring good. By saving souls that no one will perish.