"Trust the Vision”

Scripture:   Acts 10:1-23; Acts 16:6-10 

 We all have dreams, don’t we.  Some are pleasant, and some can be pretty dark, and there is always someone who thinks that our dreams are portents of some future event.  But the truth is that dreams have nothing to do with what may be coming to our lives - they are nothing more than figments of our mind’s imagination.

 However, God can speak to us in many different ways.  Sometimes it is as an unknown voice; sometimes through another person; and sometimes through a vision, which may act like a dream, but is far more real, and infinitely more divine, than anything that our own mind can ever devise on its own.

 Scripture reports a number of visions that God sent to His faithful people, and each would reveal a portion of the heavenly plan – a plan that would be intimate and special for the person receiving it. 

Consider Abram’s vision in Genesis 15 – he was promised a son to be his heir, and a land that would be given to his descendants.

Consider Samuel, who was still a boy when God’s vision came to him – a vision that he was to share with his mentor, the priest Eli regarding his sinful sons Hophni and Phinehas. (1 Samuel 3)

Consider Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 1-2 in which he saw 4 living creatures who moved with wings and wheels, and when the soon-to-be  prophet realized that he was in the presence of God, he was raised up and given a divine assignment to take to the “rebellious nation” Israel.

Daniel had visions, as did other prophets; Zechariah had his vision of his child while ministering in the temple; Ananias received a vision that he was to go to the Pharisee Saul, to lay hands on him, to heal his sight, and to prophecy to the plan that Jehovah God had for him.

 Do you see the difference between God’s visions and our dreams?  Our dreams seldom, if ever, call us to do anything, but the LORD’s visions will always require an active response.  The incidents of God’s visions continue throughout scripture, and they continue in the lives of the LORD’s faithful.  Today, we will consider 3 others who receive God’s word through visions, and what it would mean to them as well as to many others.

 Read Acts 10:1-6

 And our first vision for today goes to a Roman military officer by the name of Cornelius.  The message is a bit cryptic, in that it doesn’t give the man much to work on.  But maybe that’s the point!  He’s a commander in a Roman legion, and is used to receiving orders that also require some decision making of his own, as well as the giving orders to accomplish the mission before him.  But for today, he has been given minimal directions – he is told who to send, where to send them, who they are to meet, and what they are to ask this person to do – not a word as to why this is to happen; no hint as to why this man should come; no results that he should expect to attain; no reason for why this visit is important to his life.

 But Cornelius, already a man of faith, knows that when God speaks to you, it will always be important, regardless of whether you understand what it is all about or not!  And on this day, during prayer time, at 3:00 in the afternoon, he is set on course for a life awakening experience.  But then, so was Peter!

 Believers in Jesus Christ had yet to branch out on their own – they were still a sect of Judaism, and they had yet to sort out what in their Jewish faith should be kept, and what the Spirit was calling them to do that was new.  And associating with gentiles, especially a high-ranking member of the Roman occupational force was the last thing that any self-respecting Jew would ever do.

Of course, exclusion was never God’s way – all are welcome to come to Him in faith – but barriers against those we don’t trust or understand or agree with seem to come naturally for us – always have, and probably always will!  But for Simon Peter, he was about to get a new lesson in God’s plan for his life.

 Read Acts 10:9:16

 It was a good 30-40 miles between Caesarea and Joppa, so Cornelius hadn’t wasted any time in sending two servants and a military member of his household.  And their instructions must have included a sense of urgency for their journey, as they must have made pretty good time if they had traveled 30 miles in only a day.

 The centurion knew that if God had told him to invite Peter to come for a visit, there must have been an excellent reason for it.  But Peter needed to be prepared for the invitation if he was to receive it in the light of God’s grace.  So the LORD gives him a vision, too!  And a rather strange one at that.

 The “sheet” contains all kinds of animals and birds and snakes, all mixed together.  Many of these were considered “unclean” by Jewish law, and even a clean animal that even touched an unclean one became unclean.  Rabbits, pigs, camels, snakes, eels, and so on, were banned from the Jewish table, and here they were all mixed together.  Peter was hungry, but even then, he knew what he could eat and what he shouldn’t.  As far as he was concerned, it was God’s will, and he wasn’t about to go against it.

 But the lesson wasn’t so much about food, but rather about who God considered worthy of receiving his grace and welcome!  And when the three men arrived, the Spirit revealed the lesson of the sheet – that it was not only God’s will that he should go with these gentiles, He tells Peter that He is the one who had sent them!  (Acts 10:19-23)

 Peter would not only go with these men, he would actually enter Cornelius’ home (a no-no for a Jew!), where he would discover that the Roman had not only allowed his servants and entire household to join them, but that he had invited many friends and family to also be a part of this experience.

 Peter was taking steps that he never thought possible, and it only came to be through the vision and encouragement that the LORD brought into his life.  (Acts 10:27-48)  He entered the home of a gentile, he freely associated and spoke to all who have gathered there that day, he shared the gospel message of Jesus and his great sacrifice for all who believe, and he spoke of the forgiveness that faith can bring to even gentiles! 

 And as he was sharing his testimony about Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to rest on all who were gathered there, and they began speaking in tongues!  On gentiles?  Yes - even on those who Israel had always believed were unworthy!

 And he offered baptism to all, and actually stayed in Cornelius’ home, at his invitation, for several days.

 The vision of God was making all things new for both the gentiles and the Jews, and nothing would ever be the same again.

 Read Acts 16:6-10

  Our third vision would redirect Paul’s ministry from Asia into Europe.  The first visions that we considered today brought the most unlikely people together in faith.  But then, isn’t the LORD’s way obviously different from ours?  Isn’t God’s direction always uniquely different than the paths that we would travel?  Isn’t the Spirit’s purpose to show us the opportunities that we may be missing, and how the divine purpose is so amazing that we just don’t want to miss it?

 Paul was planning to go into the province of Asia to spread the word of Jesus.  Now we all might think that wherever we go is the right place to share the promise and word of eternity, but apparently God has bigger plans for us than we could ever imagine!  And just so Paul didn’t miss the LORD’s desire, we read that the Holy Spirit kept him from preaching the word anywhere in Asia! 

 Imagine – Paul, one of the greatest evangelists of all time, raised up specifically to carry the message of Jesus to the gentiles (Acts 9:15-16), was kept from preaching the word in an area where he truly felt called to go.  The point is that it is always right to share the word of God with those who have yet to come to  a relationship with Christ.  But when God has a different place, a different time, a different people in His heart, and when He has you in His heart to be the one who speaks to them, that is how it must be.

 And when He kept Paul from preaching the word to the Asia nations, I believe that it became obvious to the apostle that the LORD had a different idea for his life.  The door to Asia was closed to Paul, but a new door to Mesopotamia was being opened through a vision.

 But this vision was a little different than the others we talked about today.  This one wasn’t God speaking directly, but it appeared to be a man pleading for Paul’s help.  The Spirit was showing the evangelist the human need that was waiting for him, and he was to know that it was divine will that he was the chosen one to carry Jesus’ message of hope to the lost of Mesopotamia.

 And note that Paul began preparing immediately to follow the Spirit wherever he was needed.  Have you ever felt that God wanted you to be His messenger in a place that you had never thought about?  Probably!  After all, if we were always where the LORD wanted us to be, would we ever need to hear from Him? 

 The truth is that we are seldom where we need to be in the great plan of servanthood, but when we open our hearts to God’s will, we will know when the door is closing, and when a new one is opening for us; we will know when the right person is the very one who we would never choose on our own; we will know when the LORD is giving us the opportunity to not only be a blessing, but to be blessed beyond all measure.

 Open your servant heart and know the will and blessing that God has planned for your life!  Rejoice, and know that the LORD wants and needs you - today!

 

 

“Just Get Started”

 Scripture:   Acts8:26-40  (Lesson #8)

 Many folks aren’t quite sure how to begin to participate in the missions and ministry of the church.  It isn’t that they don’t want to serve, it’s just that they may be a bit hesitant about actually volunteering to be part of the church’s efforts!  And for some, they aren’t even sure of which of the many opportunities they might want to be part of!

The truth is that there is always a need for new folks to become involved in the church, but even more than that, new folks are always needed to begin new ministries and outreach efforts!  And those who have been involved in the church for a long time need to recognize the opportunity to begin training these new entries to take on some of the existing positions and work!  Without the inclusion of “new blood” into the church’s leadership and programs, stagnation and staleness in the ministry will certainly develop.

 So how does this all begin?  

First – prayer!  Both those who are already involved, as well as those who are feeling called to involvement, need to be in prayer for what the LORD would have them do.  Without the inspiration, the presence and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, nothing of value will ever occur. 

Second, when the Spirit gives you a nudge, get moving!  Hesitation is akin to doubt, and we all know what Jesus told Thomas about doubting!  In John 20:26-28, the LORD tells his disciple “Stop doubting and believe.”  And by extension, stop hesitating and get going!

And third, don’t get comfortable in what you are doing.  If you do, it’s time to try something new.  There is an old saying that should govern here – “God comforts the afflicted, and afflicts the comfortable”.  The point is that when we get comfortable and contented in ministry, whether it is as laity or clergy (!), it’s time for SOMETHING to change!

 So we need to understand that when the LORD calls, it’s time to begin training the next generation of servants to take over, to let go of our satisfaction, and contentment, and direction, and get started in God’s.

 Read Acts 8:26-29

 Earlier in this chapter (Acts 8:4-8), we discover that Philip had left Galilee and headed south to Samaria.  After being scattered due to the increase in persecution following Stephen’s stoning (Acts 8:2-3), the word began to be shared wherever the faithful went.  Philip’s ministry began to thrive and “all paid close attention to what he said.”  The success of his efforts was incredible, and we also read that “there was great joy in that city.”  Philip could very easily have been leaning toward becoming “comfortable” in his ministry, and what should always happen when comfort begins to enter our lives?

 God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5-6), and sends Philip out of Samaria and south into Judah.  The apparent destination was Gaza, but while still on his way, he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch who was a high-level official back home.  Isn’t it interesting that God never tells Philip who he is to meet, or where this will occur, or even what he is to share with the man from Africa when he finally meets him.  So how does he know what the task actually is?  The Spirit would let him know - when the time was right.

 This is what God will do for each of us, too.  If we feel called to serve Him through the church, we may or may not receive the particulars, but the Spirit will let us know when the time is right.  Now remember that it usually isn’t what we want to do, and especially not how we want to do it!  We may feel called to a particular program or ministry, but I expect that in the beginning, God will seldom get more specific than that.  For me, I felt the call into pastoral ministry, but never did hear where, or when, or anything else for that matter, until the following summer at Annual Conference in Scranton.  I had started the Inquiry Process for ministry in December, and the next June in Scranton, I was approached with the offer to begin as Lay Supply pastor at Campville.  God had given me 6 months of preparation before leading me into the first pulpit, and then 9 years later, after I had gained some experience at Campville, he added Gibson Corners.

 There’s a saying that “While God seldom calls the equipped, He always equips the called.”  For me, that was absolutely the case, even though I never saw it happening at the time.  And for Philip, it was the Holy Spirit who was preparing him while walking those many miles from Galilee to Jerusalem, but for the eunuch, Philip would be the one to answer his questions and to prepare him for the ministry that would eventually come.  And when the two men came near each other, it would be the Spirit who would point the way for Philip.  Philip would become the means that the LORD would use to bring a newness in understanding what faith in God is all about.

Read Acts 8:30-35

The Ethiopian, a new convert to Judaism, had been worshiping in Jerusalem, and now is reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah.  And this passage in Isaiah 53:7-8, just happens to be one of the prophesies regarding Jesus.  But he doesn’t understand who the passage is referring to – to the prophet or to someone else, but all that he knows is that it must be someone important and he wants to know more about him.

 Philip has arrived at exactly the right time, which, of course, is God’s timing at work, (!) and he is to teach this man just who this “unfortunate” man was.  Philip had been prepared by the Spirit during both his ministerial experiences and his journey, and the Ethiopian was prepared with his reading of the right passage for this right time, and they were put together for God’s reason.

 Think, for just a moment, about the coordination that had to happen for them to even be in the same place, and at just the right time.  The Ethiopian (his home was in East Central Africa!) had a very long journey to travel to Israel, through several other countries, and over many months’ time, while Philip had to leave a promising ministry and travel well over a week to arrive south of Jerusalem at the same time the Ethiopian did.

 Have you ever thought about the timing that God sets in place for each of us to engage in ministry through the name of Jesus?  I expect that it may have been nearly as involved as Philip’s was.  So if this is the case, doesn’t that make ministry extremely important to the One who is setting the plan in motion?  And who are we to question the LORD’s call, or to hesitate in responding to God’s desire, or even to doubt that it is real!

 Read Acts 8:36-40

 And the man from Ethiopia was so convicted through Philip’s teaching that he asked to make a commitment to Jesus through baptism.  A commitment to Christ is the step that leads us into the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God.  And we can only imagine what this would mean for the eunuch from Ethiopia, but it most certainly led him into some aspect of ministry in his own country.  But the important question isn’t what happened to this man, or even how and why Philip was transported back to Caesarea - but rather what will the LORD be able to do through each of us if we are faithful to the call he places on our lives?

 Are each of us prepared to follow faithfully, even when it means that we may have to give up something that we cherish greatly?  Will we follow the Spirit’s lead when it means that we have to give up comfort and personal effectiveness, and in return, to move into a new area with new responsibilities and to introduce new people to those ministries and efforts that we have always enjoyed so much?  Will we discover the joy of “newness” that comes to all who surrender the planning and preparation and enabling of our Christian efforts to the only One who knows all things?

 Our personal efforts are always insufficient, and many times, are actually obstructive to God’s will.  Serving in the church will always have a higher purpose, and we will seldom understand that purpose until we “let go and let God!”  I had a friend during my years at New York State Electric and Gas who was promoted to a job that he felt very uncomfortable in.  It was in Marketing, and instead of getting out of the office and meeting his customers, he spent several months reading and studying the details of the job, to the extent that he avoided the most important part of the job – serving the customers who had been assigned to him.

 When we continue to do our own thing in faith, faith and the faithful who we are called to serve will always loose out on what the Spirit would do through those things we had learned in our previous experiences.  Think of Philip – he had been a disciple of Jesus, and then was sent out to proclaim Jesus to the people of the Galilee, then to those in Samaria, then to start the Ethiopian on his way into ministry, and following that, he was taken to a new ministry in the international and mostly pagan city of Caesarea.  Each step of the way was preparing him for his next step in ministry – and each, I believe, could never have been so successful if he had done all the planning on his own.

 Don’t hesitate, don’t try to revise God’s call to suit your own desires, don’t take the arrangements and decisions into your own hands, and don’t be afraid to let God take you to the exact place and people and situation that he needs you in.  And you will be amazed at what He can do through faithful surrender to the divine plan that has been prepared, exclusively, for you.

 Just go, and don’t look back or question – God’s way is always perfect, whether we see it at the beginning, or not!  Just get going, and trust that the LORD will fill in the blanks when the time is right!

 

“It’s Never Too Late!”

Scripture:   Acts8:3; Acts 9:1-19

We’ve all heard the reasons that our friends give for not attending church – “I’m too old to change my ways.” “My truth is a lot different than yours.” “If I walked into a church, the ceiling would fall in on me.” “My life has been so rough that God wouldn’t want me anywhere near Him!” 

And you have probably heard far more than these few.  Of course, we all know that these aren’t actually “reasons” – they’re excuses!  Change, even for the better, is the most difficult thing we will ever do, and it will have to be by our own decision, not someone else’s.

 But that doesn’t mean that we should give up trying to show our friends the truth of Christ!  Perseverance is a Godly trait, and is one that we should strive to gain for ourselves!  In James 1:2-4, we read “² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  When it seems that impenetrable walls are being thrown up against us, we need to remember that the Holy Spirit is able to make any wall come tumbling down!  And this should give us an overwhelming joy in just anticipating what will happen to any obstacle that stands between the LORD and a person who has yet to come to His way.  And we just may be the means through which it all comes together!

 And this is the type of story that we will be reading about today.  The object of God’s work will be a man by the name of Saul, the means of that work will be a man by the name of Ananias, and the wall that stands between Saul and Jesus is known as the Law of Moses.  It’s a strong and nearly indestructible obstacle, but the Spirit has been given a plan to break it into tiny little pieces, and when it does, Saul will come tumbling down!

 Lesson number 7 from Acts – it’s never too little, it’s never too hard, and it is never, ever, too late for the LORD!

 Read Acts 8:3, 9:1-4

 Saul’s goal is to eradicate those heretics who believe that Jesus is Messiah, and he has just come from witnessing the stoning of Stephen.  One down, and many more waiting to suffer the same fate!  Saul was one of those who had a zealous commitment to the Law of Moses, and those who were seen as violating the Law were proclaimed as obstacles to the completion of Jehovah God’s covenant with Israel.  For Saul, seeking out those believers of “The Way”, and putting a stop to their heretical preaching, was a holy calling.  And he had no intention whatsoever of slowing down or limiting his reach into their world.

 He wanted to extend his efforts into synagogues that were located well into gentile territory before those profane believers could spread their venom any further.  A letter of introduction from the High Priest would go a long way in making his efforts easier and more effective.  The elites of Jerusalem would let nothing stand in the way of their persecution of believers in Jesus, and Stephen’s stoning was just an example of their loathing for Jesus and His followers.

 But God wasn’t giving up either!  And the chief persecutor of believers, a zealot extraordinaire, was going to be the perfect one to bring into the faith, and the plan began to unfold.  If Saul liked violence, let’s try out God’s version of getting your attention.  But the voice from heaven doesn’t accuse the man of violence against the faithful, but against God in Christ Himself.  And Saul must have been thinking – “Could this get any worse?”

 Read Acts 9:5-9

 As if things hadn’t gotten weird enough, the man finds himself talking to not only God, but to the very Jesus who he had been denying and insulting for so long.  I believe that Christ’s intention wasn’t so much to frighten Saul into believing the Truth of God, but to come to an understand that a divine plan was underway, and that it would include the most unlikely man of all time – the one most feared by the faithful in Israel and beyond.

 There is no explanation of what was coming, there is no invitation to become a follower, there is not even a suggestion of what he will be doing when he arrives in Damascus – just the command to continue on to the city, and he will learn more when he gets there.

 And the experience wasn’t Saul’s alone – those who had been traveling with him heard, but could see nothing but Saul on his knees, and obviously and powerfully effected, by whatever was happening.  The Light of God’s truth is only given for Saul, and the others are left wondering what this meant for their mission to Damascus.  Everything was changing, and the only thing they could do was to lead their blind leader to an uncertain fate in the very city that they had intended to ravage.  They didn’t understand the incredible change that was coming over Saul, but I think that they did know that the mission to destroy The Way had just taken a whole new direction.

 Read Acts 9:10-16

 Have you heard that God has a sense of humor?  He is about to use one of the people who Saul had intended to put in chains and take back to Jerusalem to stand in judgment for his sins, to be the means of Saul’s healing and to be God’s messenger for the future of Saul’s ministry in Christ’s name.

 Ananias (not the same person who we read about in last week’s lesson!) is understandably nervous about visiting Saul, but the LORD gives him a lot more information than the other man received.  So our question might be “Why do some get more detail in their call than others do?”  Interestingly, those who are already committed followers of Christ do receive more instruction, probably because a level of trust already exists between them and their LORD.  And his seemingly fearful response at the thought that he would have to figuratively “enter the lion’s lair” doesn’t deter God from giving him the answers that he needs to confidently carry out the assignment.

 Remember the angel’s announcement to Mary?  She was a bit concerned, just as Ananias was, but God honors our faith, and the faithful find great joy in following the LORD’s lead, wherever it may take them.  And both Mary and Ananias became part of bringing the greater mission of Almighty God to bear on this world, and neither of them had any significance that would have gained the adoration and acceptance of the world.  And yet, God will call the most humble and lowly to carry out His will and plan of salvation for the people of this world.

Read Acts 9:17-19

 Ananias delivers the message, and lays hands on Saul with the blessing of prayer, and the future of the Church begins to be revealed.  Saul had been bent on destroying any hope that the faith could ever continue, but now he was about to become the means that would help it grow by leaps and bounds.  He had been proud of his Jewish heritage, he had followed the Law as perfectly and as powerfully as he could, he had upheld his legalistic faith to the extent that he hated all who were deviating from its path, and in his zealous rage, he put himself exactly where the LORD wanted him – in the same town as the faithful Ananias. 

 And God began to work his wonderful ways within the man whom He had chosen to spread the word of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He held for all who would believe.  Saul would become one of the greatest evangelists that the Church would ever know, and God would be pleased with him.  But he would also know the persecution that he had once forced upon the people of God, and would come know the same suffering that Christ had accepted for him. 

 Ministry is always a sharing in, with, and for Jesus Christ, and that means that we must know and do anything that the great plan of Almighty God requires.  And the timing of that Plan will always be perfect.  Saul discovered the grace and mercy of Jesus at just the right moment, in just the right way, and in just the right place for him to receive the blessing of Christ’s call on his life.

 Saul may have thought that his life was all set and moving on the path that his Jehovah God had ordained for him, but the truth is that the life and path that he was following was his own, and not the LORD’s.  But no matter how committed this Pharisee was to his brand of faith, and no matter how mistaken we may have been in living life without Jesus in it, and no matter how young or how old we may be when Christ’s love plays out its way for us, it is the right time in so many ways.  It is never too late, and it is never to soon – it is always right on time.

 I may be the strangest example of God’s perfect timing, other than the one He had for Saul of course, that you may ever meet.  And I am so grateful that He had His perfect plan working to bring us together today. 

May the plan He has for you also be a blessing for you and the people beyond your reach and understanding, just as it always has been for the faithful of this world.

 

“Never Lie to God”

 Scripture:   Acts 5: 1-11

 The theme for today’s message may seem rather obvious – after all, who, in their right mind would ever think that they could ever get away with something, without the LORD ever knowing what they had done?  Our “all knowing”, “all present” God doesn’t work within our frame of time and understanding – He works in a way that not only isn’t ours, but is far beyond anything we will ever know or could ever imagine (Isaiah 55:8-9).

 And yet, how many folks act as though they can do whatever they want, and that it will never make an iota of difference when the Day of Judgment arrives?  Today’s message is about a husband and wife who think that if they lie to the church and continue in the lie, that God will only know what the church knows.  As we will soon discover, this is so far from the truth that it boggles the senses (Hebrews 4:12-13)!

 The point is that the church’s only truth is founded in the truth of God, and it will never be any different!

 As an introduction to our passage, we read in Acts 4:32-38, (verse 32) that no one in the church was claiming that any of his possessions was his own, and they shared everything they had.”, and in verse 34 that “ from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

 All too often, the Church tends to focus on who can truly perform miracles, and who is only faking the miracles for their own prestige and benefit.  But now we read of ways that the Church could truly and fully be the Church, and poverty had become a target for those who had anything to give in the “battle”.  But was everyone so generous?

 Read Acts 5:1-4

 The Church should be one body, with one heart to follow the ways of Jesus, and with a singular and total commitment to let the Holy Spirit lead wherever God would have us go.  Sometimes, we are to go to far away places to share the word and love of Christ with others.  Sometimes, we are called to simply be part of the greater mission of the Church, but sometimes we are called to be caring of our next-door neighbors who are in need.  In 1 Corinthians12:7-11 we read that it isn’t everyone who receives each of the God given gifts, but everyone does receive “the manifestation of the Spirit … for the common good”.  In other words, only some will be blessed with the gifts of the Spirit, but we all receive the Holy Spirit, and are to exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) through the way we live out our faith.

 Interestingly, Luke chooses to include the story of Ananias and Sapphira to make the point that even the church of that day had its problems!  But the question for us is this - What does it take for someone to resist God’s call to grace, and use the LORD’s opportunity to further their own position? 

I think the answer is that their faith is so shallow that they can’t see the blessing that is inherent in giving all the honor and glory to God, instead of holding it back for their own edification.

 We might also wonder how Peter knew so quickly and so assuredly, that Ananias had lied!  As previously mentioned, Peter might not have known about the deception through his own mind, but the LORD has a way of revealing those things that offend Him to one who He can use to correct the situation.  Blasphemy is a profoundly serious issue in faith, and that is exactly what lying to God is all about. (Luke 12:10)  

 Ananias and Sapphira could have sold the land and kept the entire sale price, but that wouldn’t have gained them any benefit in the church.  So they didn’t.  They could have sold the land and give a portion to the apostles without lying, but they didn’t.  They tried, instead, to take advantage of the grace shown to them by their God.  And they failed.

 Read Acts 5:5-8

 And Ananias pays the price for his arrogance.  But does that mean that if we lie to God that we, too, will drop dead on the spot?  It’s hard to say, but rest assured that when the Day of Jesus Christ finally arrives, the Judgment will not go well for us!

 And three hours later, Sapphira meets the same fate as her husband.  Now remember that back in verses 1 & 2, we read that they both sold the land, but that Ananias withheld some of the proceeds, and his wife only had knowledge of the deceit.  So when the issue is presented to her, if she had come clean with the truth, if she had confessed and repented of the lie, she might have been forgiven for the transgression.  But again, she didn’t.

 Later in Acts, this thought is played out in the life of Simon the Sorcerer. (Acts 8:9-13)  Simon was a boastful man who put himself above others, as well as above the Great God Jehovah.  The people even called him “the Great Power of God”, and he never corrected their misconception.  Claiming that you are the “Power of God” when you are anything BUT is deceit before the name of God.  But Simon’s story has a totally different outcome.  He repents, claims the name of Jesus as his Savior, was baptized, and became a follower of Philip – no death or punishment!

 This is the difference between Simon and our couple of the day.

 Read Acts 5:9-11

 Sapphira commits the same offence as Ananias, and receives the same fate that her husband did.  But what good would come of it?  It seems that word of the events of that day began to spread far and wide, so much so that fear began to reign in the lives of both the Church as well as in those who were outside of the faith.

 The lesson hit home over and over, and I believe that not only did the Church became stronger for it, but the truth behind the people’s attitude regarding Jesus may also have changed.  The Power of God was at work within the Church.  It wasn’t so much that faith in Christ was frightening, but more so that God, through faith in Him, was powerful, and those who opposed Him had best beware!

 As we continue to read through Acts 5:12-14, we discover that miracles of healing continued to grow, that the Power of God was at work in mighty ways through the faith of Peter and the other apostles, and that many men and women were added to the roles of the faithful from that day on.

 The lesson that comes to us from Ananias, Sapphira, and Simon the Sorcerer, is this:

Don’t ever lie to God and then persist in the lie.  For if we do, the consequences will certainly be dire – if not now, then certainly on the Day of Christ’s return. 

But the second part of this story, is that when we lie, when we sin, when we turn away from the LORD and begin to establish our own way in this life, our only hope is to repent of those ways, and to seek God’s forgiveness for the wayward life we have succumbed to.

 True confession and repentance in the name of Jesus is the only means to divine forgiveness and restoration in the family of God.  He has no desire to have anyone lose out on the eternity that has been lovingly prepared for us all, but sin and deceit can never be tolerated in God’s Kingdom, and faith and trust in the name of Jesus is our only hope to know the LORD’s Better Day.

 May it be so today and always.

          Amen.