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Acts Chapter 5(Part 1)
Today: [Acts 5] Ananias, Sapphira, and Outpoured Glory: The story of Ananias and Sapphira is one of the most misunderstood narratives in the bible. In Acts 5 we see that this unfortunate episode preceded a great move of God that shifted the atmosphere in the city and radically altered the destiny of 10’s of 1000’s of people. If we do with our faith what they did with their faith, we will see the same results.
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[Act 5:1-25 KJV] 1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 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. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried [him] out, and buried [him]. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband [are] at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying [her] forth, buried [her] by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid [them] on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16 There came also a multitude [out] of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. 17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard [that], they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
In chapter 4 we see the church arising from persecution and moving in great faith and love toward one another to meet each other’s needs and support the fledgling missionary efforts of the apostles. One notable benevolence was Barnabas who sold a piece of property and laid the price of it at the feet of the apostles. This act was similar to the significance of the alms-deeds of Cornelius who was visited by the angel and specifically told his sacrificial kindnesses came up before God as a memorial. Barnabas’ heart in this matter was so impactful in his own life that God chose Barnabas as the believer who would mentor the apostle Paul. Cornelius was the man God used to open the gospel to the Gentiles. Barnabas’ discipling of the apostle Paul was instrumental in Paul going on to become the most influential person in human history excepting Jesus Himself. What is the lesson here? Your giving and your heart toward giving opens your life to what God has next for you. Cornelius’ and Barnabas’ examples show us that giving produces breakthrough. In chapter 5 this truth is underscored again in the narrative of Ananias and Sapphira albeit in the negative.
Into this atmosphere of liberality and outpouring, Ananias and Sapphira brought the contamination of insincere hearts. They saw the favor of God being poured out upon Barnabas and others and wanted to emulate their actions without following in the example of their sacrifice. We read this account and often separate ourselves from what they did, but understand that what they did give was notable enough to draw the attention of the New Testament writer of the book of Acts. What they gave was sacrificial, and it wasn’t by compulsion. There may have been many other believers selling property and not giving all the sum of it to the apostles, but Ananias and his wife wanted to suggest an appearance of sacrifice that didn’t reflect what they were actually doing. As a result, both Ananias and his wife died before the Lord.
The death of Ananias and Sapphira is referenced over and over again as a benchmark of revival and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Ministers proclaim from the pulpit that when the visitation of God returns to His people that it will be “the days of Ananias and Sapphira…” as though that would be a good thing and something we should pray to come to pass. My response to this is “are you volunteering?” Why do we reference this very unfortunate instance instead of all things happening at the time?
How come we don’t say it will be “as the days when the crippled man was healed at the gate Beautiful” as happened in chapter 3? Another critical thing to notice is that verse 5 and verse 10 do not say that God kills Ananias and Sapphira. We read this passage with such bias regarding what we think is happening that we overlook the plain language of the writer. There is not one hint of a suggestion that God kills them or that Peter spoke death on them either. Peter didn’t speak death over Ananias, and when his wife came a few hours later, he didn’t speak death over Sapphira. Peter simply and quite accurately observed that since Sapphira conspired with her husband in dishonesty that she would share his fate. What is the lesson? You are going the way you are giving (or not giving as is the case with this hapless couple). If God was prone to slay every person who had the attitude toward money that this couple had there would be millions of Christian funerals tomorrow to inter the bodies of believers with compromised, ungodly, and outright despicable attitudes toward giving and toward leadership.
It is important to notice that Ananias and Sapphira’s act was not only an insult to God Himself but to Peter as an apostle. The people laying their monies at the feet of the apostles did not understand these gifts to be going to the institution of the church.
The institutional church as we know it did not exist in the minds of the early Christians. The monies were laid at the feet of the apostles to dispose of as they saw fit. The people gave to the apostles, and the apostles took the money and distributed at their own discretion. In the church today that would be scandalous. People consider the personal finances of their leaders to be a very delicate matter because their attitudes are perilously similar to that of Ananias and Sapphira.
If Ananias and Sapphira were not killed by God or by the apostolic denunciation of Peter (which he did not make) then why did they die? They died because they got in the way of something God was doing in response to the outpouring of love and support among the early Christians toward one another and toward the missionary efforts of the apostles. When God is moving powerfully, it is essential to pay attention to yourself and not unwittingly step into the path of something God means for your good and reap consequences very much the opposite. Another example of this is when Peter is jailed between 18 soldiers and an angel came and brought him supernaturally out of chains and imprisonment. The soldiers were executed the next day.
18 men died because the church prayed for Peter to be set free. God had no desire to see these men lose their lives but they were standing in opposition to something God was doing and to the prayers of the saints, and therefore they paid with their lives. The move of God we all pray for when it comes should be met with a profoundly circumspect attitude especially in the hearts of those closest to the fire of God when it manifests.
What happens after Ananias and Sapphira died? What if a couple dropped dead in your church during the offertory? Your pastor would be jailed, and the doors of your church would be permanently closed tomorrow. That is not the case in Acts 5.
The people feared but they feared with a holy reverence for the enormity of what was happening in their midst. As a result of the people’s response to the instance of Ananias and Sapphira, the apostles went on to work many signs and wonders. The people were gathered together with one accord as at no time previous in the brief history since their inception. If a couple died in such a manner in your church would it bring the people together or would it ignite controversy and strife? If this happened in your church or your city would it result in exponential growth of believers coming to the Lord or would people abandon your church or ministry wholesale? The people began seeing great miracles because they witnessed and made note of the enormous power of God manifesting in proximity to the apostles. You see the same power of God coming off of Peter that cost Ananias and Sapphira their life, was the same power of God that caused Peter’s very shadow to heal many.
Consider what is happening in the aftermath of Ananias and Sapphira: They people witness this couple coming close enough to Peter to lay money at his feet, and because their hearts were not right they fell down dead. Then all those who witness this or hear of it say “I want some of that!” and rush to sop up that glory by laying their aprons and handkerchiefs on Peter’s body in hopes for a miracle. That seems an incredulous response! You would think they would run the other way, but they don’t. They recognize that whatever happened to Ananias and Sapphira it was because of them and not because of God. The realize and witness the magnitude of God’s power on Peter and not only Peter, but all the apostles and they want to have as much of it in their lives as possible.
What would be your pastor’s response if during his sermon you run up and start wiping his sleeve with your hanky? You would be escorted out the door by the security team. This wasn’t the case with the apostles and because they were so approachable multitudes from all the cities round about came and were healed, demons were cast out, and every person who came in proximity to them was healed v. 16 tells us EVERY ONE without exception.
What happens next? Did the leadership of the city see what is happening and rush to join them? If you think the leadership of the prevailing religious system is going to bow to the emergence of the glory of God in your city, think again. What happened with Ananias and Sapphira got Peter and the remainder of the apostles thrown in jail. They were thrown in, but an angel came and promptly broke them out of jail. This is not church as we know it. Can you imagine the scandal if your pastor got thrown in prison on Sunday and broken out of jail on Monday! He would be a fugitive! Most likely one of his own deacons or parishioners would turn him in! Instead, the apostles gathered all the people in the most public venue possible and continued teaching and preaching. If your pastor was a fugitive from justice would you be registering for his next seminar? This is what it looks like when the move of God descends on a city and brings not just individuals but an entire nation of people to its knees at the foot of the cross. What happens here in Jerusalem in time over the course of the next three centuries would bring the civilized world and the might of Rome itself to its knees at the foot of the cross. This is what we need to be praying for and calling out to God for. If we do with our faith what they did with their faith, it is certain that we shall have the same result. It is not possible to follow in their footsteps and not see the same result? What were the people doing before this happens? They were doing something with their monies and their livelihoods that the church, in general, does not do today. They were transacting in faith upon the earth, not in regard to the honor of man but because they recognized something God was doing and wanted to be a part of it. God give us people like this and hearts like this. Give us apostles like this and leaders like this. We have had enough of status quo. We must have the move of God in our midst.
