Spirit of Generosity

Thank you for reading this sermon from Christ Fellowship. I hope and pray that this sermon will be a blessing of grace and truth to you. With that said, let me encourage you not to use this sermon as a replacement for your local church. Christ Jesus did not establish his Church simply for us to consume content. Instead, He calls us to be part of a real, covenant family. 

Have you ever heard someone say something like this: “The god of the New Testament is nothing like the god of the Old Testament. I worship the god of the New Testament, because he’s a god of love and forgiveness and grace. The god of the Old Testament was angry and jealous and violent.” Have you heard something like that before?

Well, that person is probably not familiar with the story in Acts chapter 5.

But I want to start reading this morning at the end of Acts chapter 4:

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 early church had an understanding that their lives belonged to the Lord Jesus and His kingdom.

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. 

The Holy Spirit led the early church to a lifestyle of radical generosity. Motivated by the grace of Jesus, wealthy Christians gave to the church and the leaders distributed these gifts to the needy.

And then Luke shares an example to show us the heart of a man named Barnabas who becomes important later in Acts.

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.

Now, watch what happens next in chapter 5.

5:1 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 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.

12 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.

13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

15 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.

16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

This is a heavy story, because if we are honest what they did doesn’t seem that bad to us. And yet, God killed these two people on the spot. It sounds so severe!

Ironically, the name Ananias means “God is gracious” in Hebrew. And yet, God doesn’t seem to offer him any grace in this situation. Sapphira means “beautiful” in Aramaic. But this is tragic, not beautiful.

So, what did they do? Why was it so bad? Why was God so angry?

Very often, preachers will use this story to manipulate people into giving with fear or guilt. But that cannot be the purpose of this story. Look at 2 Corinthians 9:7:

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

In other words, God doesn’t want us to give to His church out of fear or guilt – so that can’t be the purpose of Acts 5.

So, without fear or guilt, let’s consider this story in context. Luke tells us about the cheerful generosity of the early church. He tells us about the powerful work of the Holy Spirit led by the apostles.

And then he tells us specifically about the example of Barnabas. Barnabas gives the money from the sale of his land as a clear act of worship and devotion to God. His heart was in the right place.

But what does Peter say to Ananias?

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…

And then again in verse 4:

Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?

If you focus on the lie and miss the heart condition that produced the lie, then you will miss the point of this story. All sins are born in the heart. Satan bears some blame here, for stoking the fires of sin. But ultimately, Peter blames Ananias.

What Ananias proves by his actions is that his heart is not really changed. This gift was an act of worship, but not worship of God. It was an act of self-worship.

If we are giving to God only to get something from Him, then we are really giving to ourselves. In other words, right actions coming from the wrong heart are not right actions in the eyes of God. He sees the heart and He is not pleased with fake expressions of love or generosity.

But why did God judge these two people so quickly and so fiercely? If we are honest, we are all guilty of doing things with bad motivations. I can admit that I’m even guilty of giving with the wrong motivations at times. Do we deserve to die for it?

Well, the answer is actually yes. Yes, we do deserve to die for it. If you don’t believe that, then you don’t really understand how offensive our sin is to God. That’s kind of the point. That’s why Jesus had to die in our place. Sin is rebellion. All sin. Every sin.

Part of the disease is that our hearts do not want to admit we deserve death for it. We read this story, and we think, “Wow, God, that’s so cruel!” But that’s only proof we don’t get it.

And yet, God is gracious. He doesn’t kill us where we stand. In fact, stories like this are very rare in the Bible. This is the only time it happens in the New Testament.

And that’s because there’s something else going on here.

Look again at verses 3 and 4:

3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…

You have not lied to man but to God.”

And then in verse 9, when his wife comes in:

9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?

Peter sees this sin as something more than just lying about their gift. This is about the Holy Spirit.

And I think that’s what Luke wants us to see. This is still very early in the book of Acts. This is very early in the history of the church. We have story after story of the Holy Spirit doing amazing things.

Right before this, we have a story of radical generosity instigated by the Holy Spirit. Immediately after this story, we see more signs and wonders and healings led by the Holy Spirit.

God is actively building His church, but it is young and fragile. In fact, Luke uses the word “church” for the first time here in verse 11. They were the ekklesiai – the “called out ones”.

And so, God was busy doing something new. He was calling people to Himself, calling them out of the world. He was building a new kind of community. And He was with them. His Spirit was no longer associated with the temple. God’s people were the temple.

The Church is the holy place. The Church is the resting place of God with men.

Now, that changes the context of this story, doesn’t it? Right in the middle of this new, amazing work of God’s Spirit, we have a story of someone acting like they are part of it – and they are not.

Their gift was not motivated by the work of the Holy Spirit. It was selfish. It was wicked. And God chose, as He has the right to do, to protect the reputation of His young church.

He did not allow this couple to make a mockery of Him. Instead, He made an example of them.

And it worked. Luke says the Church was filled with a healthy fear of God. And the Spirit continued to move and more than ever, verse 14 says, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of men and women.

In other words, God used judgment here as a means to a very good end.

How should we respond to all this? Well, I think we can begin with considering that God is very interested in protecting the peace and purity of His church. We are the bride of His Son. We are His work. And because He is concerned with that, we should be to.

We have a responsibility to hold one another accountable, to confess our sins to one another, and to pray for one another. The elders have a responsibility to protect and care for the church. The deacons have the responsibility to lead us in service, especially to the poor.

Second, I think we can use this as an opportunity to examine our hearts. What things might we be doing only to be seen by others, to look like we are godly people, when deep down we know it’s only to feed our pride? If our giving, or any religious action, is not motivated by love and done for the glory of God, then it is worthless.

And I think, finally, we should be grateful for the grace of God – that He doesn’t punish all of us as our sins deserve. I am also a liar. I am guilty of doing and saying things only for the approval of others, and not for God. I am not as generous as I should be. My heart is a mess. Every day of my life is better than I deserve. But God has been gracious to me in Christ Jesus.