The Beauty and the Danger Within The Church (Acts 4:32-5:11)

A Sermon preached by Pastor Nayan Narzary, Gospel Community Church, Guwahati.

The early church is often admired and praised by many preachers, and I myself have spoken many times about how biblical the early church was. And that is true. However, the early church was not a perfect church either. In the history of the Christian church, we see both beauty and also the problem of sin within the church.

So far in the book of Acts, from chapter 1 through chapter 4, everything seemed to be going well in the church at Jerusalem. People were genuinely converted through faith and repentance. They devoted themselves to God, to the apostles’ teaching, and to one another. There was unity, generosity, love, prayer, and bold witness.

But in today’s text, we see both beauty and danger existing side by side within the church. On one hand, we see believers sacrificially loving and serving one another. On the other hand, we also see sin, hypocrisy, and spiritual deception entering the church through Ananias and Sapphira.

This reminds us that even today, every church can experience both beauty and danger at the same time. A church may be growing spiritually and yet still face the danger of sin within. Therefore, this morning I would like to preach on the topic: “The Beauty and the Danger Within the Church.

I. The Beauty of a Spirit Filled Church (4:32-37)

32  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.

The beauty of this Spirit-filled church was that their heart and soul were united. How were they united in heart and soul? By voluntarily sharing the resources they had. They allowed their belongings to be used by other brothers and sisters in the church. Their attitude was, “What is mine is yours—use it.” No one claimed that any of their possessions were their own, but they had everything in common.

In a family, we sometimes correct our children, especially when they are very possessive of their belongings. At times they say, “This is mine,” or “That is his or hers.” When we see such possessiveness, we say, “That’s not right. We need to share. We need to sacrifice for our brothers, sisters, and others.” In a healthy family, we see real love expressed through sharing and sacrifice.

That is exactly what this Spirit-filled church was doing. They lived like one family,

united in heart and soul.

Church, if we are to be united as one heart and soul, what would that look like? Brothers and sisters, we need to agree in our doctrine and our practices. We believe the same truths, and therefore we commit ourselves to live accordingly. If we disagree in these essential matters, there is no way we can truly be one in heart and soul. So, we protect our unity by agreeing together and committing to love and live

for one another.

That is why, brothers and sisters, this unity of heart and soul is most clearly expressed when we commit ourselves to a particular church through membership. If you look at our church covenant, you will see what we believe and what we are committed to. When someone becomes a member, we covenant together to live in one heart and one soul. That is how we seek to live as one in Gospel Community Church. Committing to live according to our church covenant is a visible expression of this unity and that is the beauty of a Spirit-filled church. But again, this unity of heart and soul is not merely an agreement on paper or something theoretical. It must be seen in our actions. Now, let us read verses 33–35.

33  And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection

of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  34  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  35  and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was

distributed to each as any had need.

What Luke is describing here is that the beauty of a Spirit-filled church was seen in this: with great power, the apostles were preaching the gospel, and as a result, great grace was upon them. Because of this, there was sacrificial giving and love among the church.

The preaching of God’s Word brought transformation in the lives of the believers. As a result, verse 34 tells us that those who owned lands, houses, or other properties sold them and brought the proceeds to the apostles to be distributed to those in need. Verse 35 says they laid it at the apostles’ feet; this means they entrusted the apostles with the authority to distribute according to the need. And as these resources were distributed, there was no needy person among them—everyone’s basic needs were met.

At that time, some Christians were very poor. They had nothing. Some had come from different countries for Pentecost, and after becoming Christians, they decided to stay in Jerusalem. Some widows from other regions had come to reside there until their death, but they became believers and were now part of this church. Others may have left their homes because they had become Christians. So there were many needy people in the church. But the powerful preaching of the gospel brought great grace upon the believers. And that grace was clearly seen in the life of this Spirit-filled church: they sold their lands and houses and gave the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to those in need. As a result, there was no needy person among them.

Church, if you notice carefully, today’s responsive reading from Deuteronomy 15 echoes this. When God brought Israel out of Egypt into Canaan, He expected His people to live in this way. There were different types of giving, and tithes were especially used to care for widows, orphans, and the poor in the land. Please look at verses 7–8 of Deuteronomy 15.

7  “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns

within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your

heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,  8  but you shall open your hand to

him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.

What this Spirit-filled church was doing was not to display their pride, but to obey the Lord something Israel had often failed to do throughout the centuries. This is how God expected His people to live in the Promised Land. When the gospel was preached to these believers, they were no longer the same people. Their lives were completely transformed by the power of the gospel. As a result, they became very generous. They loved one another deeply, even to the point of sacrificing their own belongings to support those in need. That was the beauty of a Spirit-filled church.

And Luke gives Barnabas as an example of this kind of love in action. Let us read

verses 36–37.

36  Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of

encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,  37  sold a field that belonged to him

and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

This man’s real name was Joseph, a common Jewish name. He was a Levite from Cyprus. But the apostles gave him the nickname Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”

He became a prominent figure in the book of Acts. He was the one who brought the Apostle Paul to Peter and the other apostles. He also took Paul to the church in Antioch, and from there, both of them were sent out for mission work. Barnabas was likely a wealthy man. Traditionally, Levites were not supposed to own land in Palestine. However, since he was from Cyprus, he may have owned land there. In any case, he sold a piece of land and brought the proceeds to the apostles to be distributed to those in need.

That was a great act of love.

Application

Dear brothers and sisters, here is something you and I need to know from this portion of Scripture. The gospel, when properly understood, transforms us and changes our perspective on how we view our resources. The true Christian understands that nothing belongs to them. Everything belongs to God. If everything belongs to God, that means we are just stewards of His resources. Therefore, it matters to God how we use, steward, or manage the resources that God has entrusted to us.

Dear brothers and sisters, I want to appeal to you with this passage of Scripture. All our giving does not necessarily have to be secret. Of course, the Bible commands us to give in secret, but at the same time, public giving is not condemned. Sometimes our giving can be public in order to edify the brothers and sisters in the church and also to encourage other believers in the church to do the same. That’s why some of our giving is very open by using envelopes, so that it can encourage some of you who are learning to be faithful believers and faithful in giving.

Maybe in our time we may not have to sell our property in order to meet the needs of other brothers and sisters in the church. However, if a need arises in the church, like if, Lord willing, we are to buy a piece of land for the church, and if the Lord leads in your heart, will you be willing to let go of some of the properties that you have to meet such a need?

Some of you know that the Lord is providing just your daily or monthly needs. For some of you, God has provided much more than you need. And for some of us, it is somewhere in between. But I want to remind you and ask you, brothers and sisters, whatever the circumstances are, what does your faithful giving look like? What does sacrificial giving look like for you?

If God has provided you just enough for every month, do you tend to think, “If I give to the Lord, I will not have enough to maintain my monthly needs”? Is this your excuse? Brothers and sisters, if this is you, you can ask yourself: Is it necessary for you to spend all of your salary on yourself and your family, leaving nothing to give to the Lord?

Brothers and sisters, you need to know that giving is an act of faith—that we trust in the Lord that He will meet our needs. Members, you need to remember that the church in Thessalonica gave out of their extreme poverty. For those whom God has provided abundantly, you may be tempted to be satisfied by giving two, three, five, or maybe a maximum of ten percent of what He has given you. But the question for you is this: Is your giving sacrificial? Is your giving an act of faith? How can you show that your giving is an act of faith, that God is providing for you? How does your giving show that your security is in God who provides, not in your wealth? Have you considered that God is blessing you with abundant resources to steward for His kingdom, not for your own enjoyment?

Brothers and sisters, each one of us will be accountable to God for how we steward the resources He has entrusted to us. He might be giving you ten thousand a month, or twenty thousand, or thirty thousand, forty thousand, fifty thousand, sixty thousand, one lakh, two lakh, three lakh—whatever the amount— you are accountable to God who has entrusted you with His resources.

Dear brothers and sisters, what Luke is showing here is the beauty of the Spirit- filled church—genuinely caring for one another through their genuine love for each other. And they expressed that by sharing their resources. Please take this as an example for yourselves as well, because the church needs money to support people who are working full-time in ministry. The church needs money to pay rent and to support the interns whom we are training. We need resources to support more gospel workers like missionaries and evangelists. Your act of faith in giving can help the church continue in supporting these needs.

Acts chapter 4 shows the beauty of the Spirit-filled church. The message of the gospel produces great grace in the church. However, the gospel does not only produce great grace, but it also produces great judgment. I call this a great danger.

II. The Great danger of the Church (5:1-11)

5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,  2  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.  3  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?  4  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.”  5  When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last.

And great fear came upon all who heard of it.  6  The young men rose and wrapped

him up and carried him out and buried him.

7  After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had

happened.  8  And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you [a]  sold the land for so

much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”  9  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.”  10  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.  11  And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard

of these things.

Brothers and sisters, what we see here is that God does not only look at our outward actions but also at our hearts. That means we cannot play with God and His church. He is holy, and the church is His Son’s body and the temple of the Holy Spirit. We see in the previous chapter that God’s great power is seen in great grace, but here we see His great power displayed in great judgment. Therefore, grace does not give us a license to sin or to live however we want. Rather, grace should bring a reverential fear of God.

Here we see that Ananias and Sapphira’s giving was not motivated by genuine transformation of their hearts through the gospel. But what motivated them to do this? It is very clear that their giving was motivated by their desire to be praised. They wanted to look spiritual without actually being spiritual. Both husband and wife were guilty of hypocrisy. What they did was present themselves as if they had

sold all their land and donated everything to the apostles, while they kept some for themselves. We are not sure how Peter knew this, but when he confronted Ananias, he says in verses 3–4: “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? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?’

In other words, who was asking you to do this? Were you not the owner of the land and the proceeds before and after the sale? Was it not yours? You could have kept some and given some, but why did you pretend as if you were very generous?

Application

Church, I want you to observe the nature of our sins here. It is actually that one sin leads to another sin. They had the desire to be praised, and this sin led them to another sin, which is lying. In order to cover their first sin, they committed another sin, that is, lying. Actually, in today’s culture, we don’t feel that lying is a sin anymore, because lying has become very common in our day-to-day life. Without lying, we think we cannot get things done.

Brothers and sisters, the Bible clearly says that lying is a sin. I can give numerous verses that show God hates lies. So, God does not judge us according to the standards of this world; He judges us according to the standard of His Word. Therefore, no amount of lies can be justified before God. So, brothers, when was the last time you lied to someone? Or how many times have you lied in the last week? Do you even consider lying a sin? Proverbs says that lying lips are an abomination to God.

Secondly, we cannot hide our sins. Ananias wanted to hide his sin, but God exposed his sin. Sometimes we think that we are smart enough to hide our sins from others. Brothers and sisters, your sin will find you out. God sees your heart and the deepest parts of your heart. You may be able to fool us for some time, but God will surely expose your sins. So, it is better to confess and repent of our sins before they are exposed. Otherwise, we will be put to shame when we are exposed.

We also see in this text that not only Ananias was judged with death, but even his wife Sapphira was judged with death. They both agreed to lie. As a result, God judged them with death.

Church, do not be involved in sin together. If your husband sins, do not be a part of it or support it. Do not go along with the sinful plans of your husband. And it is the same for husbands as well. Instead, try your best to prevent one another from sinning. That is how we help each other. Children, do not be involved in your parents’ sins. And also, those who work under a sinful boss—you do not need to sin

when your boss asks you to do sinful things.

Dear brothers and sisters, God judges sin now or later. Sometimes you may wonder why God judged this couple so harshly but not others. Dear brothers and sisters, God has the power to judge now or later. One thing we should know is that we should not be comfortable with sin. He can judge you now or later.

Finally, I want to remind you with one more warning from this portion of Scripture: guard your heart from desiring to be praised. God does not take it lightly when we use His name for our own praise or benefit. He does not take it lightly when we use the church and our work in it for our own self-glory and self-benefit.

Christians, this can apply to any area of the Christian life. It can apply to us pastors or gospel workers. If our preaching, teaching, or any work in the church is driven by selfish motives to receive praise from people or church members, then it is an abomination to God. God hates that. Song leaders and music teams, if your motive in singing, playing, and leading is driven by a desire for praise, then it is an abomination to God. Brothers and sisters, if your teaching or discipling of others is driven by selfish motives to be praised, then it is an abomination to God. Sisters, if your service in the church and your hospitality at home are driven by selfish ambition to be praised by others, then it is an abomination to God.

God sees our hearts, not just the outward actions that we do. So, we need to guard our hearts, so that whatever we do, we may do for God’s glory alone, not for our own glory. When we seek glory for ourselves, God is not glorified. Dear brothers and sisters, let us be careful how we serve in the church, because the great power of God and His gospel does not only come with grace but also with judgment.

Some of you might be thinking, “Why should I not live for myself? Why do I need to live for His glory? Why can I not live for my own achievements?” Dear brothers and sisters, we are created for God’s glory and to worship Him through our lives. But man rebels against God and wants to take all the glory for

himself. By disobeying God’s holy command, man lives for himself, becomes separated from the holy God, and embraces death and judgment.

But God is not only a Judge; He is also a loving and gracious Father. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, who was incarnated as a human like you and me. He became a perfect man and lived only for God’s glory. Yet He was crucified on the cross to bear our sins and our pride. He was buried and rose on the third day. Brothers and sisters, if you believe and repent of your sins, your sins will be forgiven, and you will be able to live for His glory.