Psalm 84:5-10 “I’d Rather be a Gatekeeper!”

Text: 

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6 As they go through the Valley of Baca

        they make it a place of springs;

    the early rain also covers it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength;

        each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

                              give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah

9 Behold our shield, O God;

    look on the face of your anointed!

10 For a day in your courts is better

    than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Comments:

On Sunday, I wasn’t the scheduled preacher, but as we transitioned from singing our praise to the Lord to a posture of listening to the encouragement of the message, I read briefly from the Psalms and made a couple of simple devotional points that I would like to share here.

Our songs emphasized our desire to be in the presence of the Lord and our need for Christ to set us free from the chains that bind us—be they spiritual, emotional, or physical.

I read from Psalm 84 which gives voice to much the same sentiment. It was written by the “Sons of Korah” who are typically concerned with being in the presence of the Lord.

Verses 1-2 give voice to their desire to be in God’s presence. It really wasn’t about their being in the temple, but that in being in the temple they were in the presence of God. It was a place designated as a place of prayer for all the nations and was illustrated by the nesting birds in the temple compound (v. 3-4). However, this week I focused on v. 5-12 for a couple of reasons.

First, in v.6, the psalmist describes the transforming pilgrim attitude of those who seek the Lord, "As they go through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs." Literally, the “Valley of Baca” means “Valley of weeping,” but pilgrims of God, or disciples (as we describe them in the New Testament) dig wells and pray for rain in a way that benefits those who come behind them. Our speaker this week did this well—sharing from her own seasons of dryness and how the Lord delivered her from them. It is what we all should be doing. We all have a history and it is with the comfort that we have received from Christ that we can turn and comfort others—not as perfect people, but as those who are flawed, have been wounded, but also have received the comfort of Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2 Cor. 1:3-5)

Secondly, in Psalm 84:10 the Sons of Korah express that they wanted to be in the temple,

For a day in your courts is better

    than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

We often focus on comparing the one day and the thousand, for something is to be said about the quality of the day, not just the quantity. However, what jumped out to me this week was the phrase in v. 10 “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God.” What we need to remember is that the authors of this psalm had been assigned as doorkeepers (1 Chron. 26:1, 19).

What I am saying is that there is something about being where God wants you, doing the job that he has given you to do that is more significant than we realize. Doing it brings a sense of fulfillment and joy. Even the “outside” times of discomfort and labor as a part of God’s mission are far better than dwelling inside and at ease surrounded by those who are wicked. Our jobs are appointed by the Lord so let’s rejoice at an opportunity to perform our daily duties as worship to the Lord and as service to his people. This desire on the part of the Sons of Korah was not one of withdrawal from the world, but it was one of engagement in their assigned role. For them, all of life was sacred when lived unto the Lord. 

"To lift up the hands in prayer gives God glory, 

but a man with a dungfork in his hand, 

      a woman with a slop-pail, give him glory too. 

He is so great that all things give him glory if you mean they should. 

So then, my brethren, live." 

—Gerard Manley Hopkins

Let’s allow the Lord to use us whether in the Valley of weeping, or standing outside the door of his Temple, to bless those who might come behind us. 

Seeing What God is Doing (Acts 5:17-42)

As we continue our study in The Acts of the Apostles, or what should be known as 
The Continuing Acts of Jesus Christ through the Apostles, we see revival made the 
religious leaders uncomfortable.

1. Religious Jealousy Was Aroused by Revival (v.16-18; John 16:1-4)

   Then the high priest and all his associates, 

                                 who were members of the party of the Sadducees, 

                                         were filled with jealousy. 

   They arrested the apostles

                    and put them in the public jail. 

As more and more people believed in the resurrection of Jesus the Sadducees, the ruling class in Jerusalem, became more aggressive in trying to stamp out this new sect of the Nazarene. We should realize that “revival” is no guarantee of government approval; in fact, revival and rapid church growth are often threatening to those in power. Why is that? Is it because grace-bathed, Spirit-filled, Christians are dangerous? No, for they become more loving, caring, and serving towards others. When they truly follow Jesus in the power of the Spirit they are changed from the inside out and stop lying, stealing, and cheating. They work harder at whatever their job is because it is seen as worship unto the Lord. You don’t need a policeman on the corner when you have one in the heart. When Christians don’t do this, it is an indication that they are influenced more by their culture and their own desires than by a love for God and for humanity.

So why were the religious leaders jealous? Well, what arouses jealousy in general?

We tend to arose jealousy in others when we have a different center of attention, a different recipient of our affection, and have shuffled our alliances (ultimate loyalty) from the status quo. Those who faithfully follow Jesus are generally more law-abiding citizens than others. However, their first loyalty is not to those in power, but to the Lord and showing his love to “the least of these.”

We also know that such opposition should not have been a surprise since Jesus had told them about it ahead of time (John 16:1-4)

I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

This happened first at the hands of the Jews who charged them with blasphemy, then the Romans who charged them with atheism (because they only believed in one God) and so on down through history with governments (e.g., communist USSR, China, Vietnam, Cuba, etc.) hating Christians because of a greater loyalty than to the state. Today, it is primarily at the hands of Muslim extremists who think they are serving God to kill the followers of Jesus, even though Jesus (Isa) is one of their prophets.

This is the smoking gun that they don’t know God…when violence is done against God’s people wherever they may be found.

Also, you can never say that Jesus wasn’t upfront and thorough in telling them about the difficulties they would face. Difficulties we cannot stand up against if we are trusting in our own strength (as we see from Peter on the night Jesus was arrested).

Why don’t we see these kinds of miracles today?

I am sure that we could list quite a few reasons, but I chose to consider five examples from church history and will draw at least one potential reason from each one.

A) Irenaeus (ca. 125-202) was one of the leaders of the early church that we refer to as “Apostolic Fathers.” He made a rather off-handed comment regarding not only of the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church of his day, but their purpose. This is a strong argument for miracles of healing continuing to be experienced beyond the lives of the Apostles. They were seen as a continuation of the ministry of Jesus. He said,

“Those who are truly his disciples receive grace from him and put this grace into action for the benefit of other men, as each has received the gifts from him. Some drive out devils...some have foreknowledge of the future...others heal the sick through the laying on hands...and even the dead have been raised up before now and have remained with us for many years. Why, there is no numbering of the gifts which all over the world the Church has received. from the Lord; and put into action day by day, in the name of Christ Jesus who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, for the benefit of the nations, without deceit and without payment. For as the Church has received freely from the Lord, so it freely serves mankind.^[1]

So what does this suggest? Perhaps we don’t see signs and wonders as often because the church doesn’t use its gifts for the benefit of others as it should.

B) Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) & the Pope

While I have seen this anecdote told of St. Francis of Assisi, it would seem to be better attested as having involved Thomas Aquinas. It is said that Thomas Aquinas once visited his friend the pope and was shown all of the treasures of the Roman Church. The pope said to Thomas,

“Well, Thomas, no longer can the church say, ‘Silver and Gold have I none.” 

Thomas replied, “Yes, Holy Father, but neither can we say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk’?” 

Perhaps this story suggests that the Church became an empire rather than a spiritual community.

C) David Hume (1711-1776) and the Enlightenment.

Hume raised a new philosophical opposition to miracles based on probability and the laws of nature. This position was related to a movement towards Naturalism— a term referring to a philosophy that denies the existence and activity of the supernatural or the metaphysical. All that appears to indicate the presence of the supernatural can be explained in terms of natural phenomena or misperception of witnesses. While his arguments are faulty, the Western church tends to look with skepticism at the supernatural.

D) Miracle Workers and Televangelists (20^th Century)

Ironically, through the fruitful ministries of various people with gifts of healing over the last century there came a degree of sensationalism. Amy Semple McPherson and others were often hounded by aggressive agnostic reporters. Do we tend to relegate healing to the religious sideshow? Or do we invent reasons why we are off the hook? Are we so naturalistic that we fail to believe in the supernatural?

I love the story of the late John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard churches, who when first saved in another denomination asked his pastor, “When do we get to do the stuff? You know, the stuff! The stuff Jesus did!” One reason we don’t see more miracles is that the church (and our culture) has both relegated signs and wonders to the sideshow of sensationalism and yet, ironically, we are desensitized to the super natural voice of the Spirit in our lives.

E) Advances in Personal Wealth and Medical Care (ongoing).

The last 100 years has seen an amazing progress in medical care. Life-saving surgeries that are commonplace today were not even dreamed of even 50-60 years ago. We live in a country that has experienced tremendous prosperity over the same period of time. While there are still areas affected by poverty it is not the desperate poverty on many third-world nations. While these advances are a blessing to those they benefit, they can produce a deceptive spirit of self-sufficiency which when coupled with the scientific-smugness that has accompanied it we are much like ancient Nazareth. Nazareth is remembered for its unbelief—they didn’t ask Jesus to heal their sick or deliver their oppressed. And when we ask we are like those described in James 2:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Let me say that we do have tremendous healing in this country, but it comes through a variety of means. It comes through prayer, through doctors, through proper nutrition and exercise, and through medical breakthroughs. Yet we too often fail to recognize the wonder of it all.

There is an old story, of a man facing a rising flood. When the Weather Service gave the flood warning, advising evacuation he said “No, God will deliver me!”

When the water was up to his mailbox, he said “No” to the National Guard truck from the driveway…  later he said “No” to the swift water rescue boat from his porch, later as the water continued to rise he said “No” to the helicopter from the roof. After that he drowned. The story goes that when in heaven he stood before the Lord, and asked, “Why didn’t you save me…I trusted in you!” To which Jesus said, “Son, I sent you a warning, then I sent the truck, the rescue boat, and the helicopter. What more were you looking for?”

I don’t share this story to debunk miraculous deliverance but rather to warn against presumption; the presumption that demands God answer our prayer according to our specifications. The man in the story should have taken the warning and helped others. Instead of demanding that God rescue him in a certain way, he should have used the circumstances as an opportunity to be the answer to other people’s prayers. It is only a funny story, but if we aren’t careful we can end up being the punchline. Having said that it is good to remember that the power of God is often more convincing elsewhere. Timothy Warner writes,

In many parts of the world…people are much more power-conscious than they are truth-conscious. We may preach a very logical and convincing message by Western standards, but our hearers remain unimpressed. Let them see Christian power displayed in relation to the spirit world in which they live with great fear, however, and they will “hear” the message more clearly than our words alone could ever make it. (Perspectives 3^rd Ed., 580)

In light of these influences I would suggest that the Western church is neither desperate nor boldly trusting God to actually do something, and when he does do something we often don’t have the sense to see it and give thanks!

That was a very lengthy aside, answering a question we were unable to get to a few weeks ago. But what about the apostles back in Acts 5? Last time we checked-in with their story they were locked in the public jail by the Sadducee religious leaders. But it was not for long.

2. They Were Released For a Purpose (v.19-21)

    But during the night an angel of the Lord

                                            opened the doors of the jail and

                                                     brought them out. 

                              “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said,

                                       “and tell the people all about this new life.”

          At daybreak they entered the temple courts,

                         as they had been told,

                     and began to teach the people.

There are three things I would like to mention about this section. First, it was an angel of the Lord who opened the door of the jail (v.19). What marvelous bit of divine irony it is that the apostles were imprisoned by the Sadducees for doing the supernatural and were miraculously released from prison by an angel which according to the Sadducees do not exist. Who says that God does not have a sense of humor? In addition, the angel in this case does not proclaim that Jesus was alive but tells them to do so…in the temple no less. That is like sending the apostles to preach on the Sadducees’ front lawn. It is a strategy sure to land them back in jail. By the way, in case we are tempted to develop some kind of angelic door-opening theology, notice that while the angle opened the door of the jail for them to escape, they still had to wait until daybreak for the doors of the temple to be opened (v.21).

Second, the purpose of the Lord is sure (Isa 14:24), where in the context of the coming destruction of Assyria,

    The Lord of hosts has sworn:
    “As I have planned, so shall it be,
    and as I have purposed, so shall it stand…”

His word will be fulfilled; it will come to pass, with or without us.

Third, the Apostles were recalled to active service… a three-part commission was given by the angel. They were to “Go” (out of the jail), “Stand in the temple” (see Eph. 6:13-14), and “Tell the people all about this new life.” They were to continue to be ambassadors for reconciliation in the world.

3. Repeating the Process (21-25)

  When the high priest and      his associates arrived,

   they called together the Sanhedrin—

                                               the full assembly of the elders of Israel—

                                     and sent to the jail for the apostles. 

                            But on arriving at the jail,

                                         the officers did not find them there. 

                                    So they went back and reported, 

                                      “We found the jail securely locked,

                                                 with the guards standing at the doors;

 but when we opened them,

                 we found no one inside.” 

                                On hearing this report,

                      the captain of the temple guard and

                      the chief priests were at a loss,

                                                  wondering what this might lead to.

   Then someone came and said, “Look!

                              The men you put in jail

                    are standing in the temple courts

                                           teaching the people.” 

We all saw this ending coming, back when the angel sent them back to witness in the temple, the religious leaders’ home court. It reminds me in a way of the original Weebles, the old children's toy that was like a weighted punching bag that just kept standing back up. The tag line was, "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!" They were noticed, reported and the source of great wonder to the guards.

4. Remaining Faithful Under Pressure (26-33)

   At that,       the captain went with his officers

      and brought the apostles.

              They did not use force,

because they feared that the people would stone them.

                         The apostles were brought in

                                                          and made to appear

                        before the Sanhedrin to be questioned

                                                 by the high priest.

   “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said.

            “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching

                           and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied:

“We must obey God rather than human beings! 

                  The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—

                                                                           whom you killed

                                                                                by hanging him on a cross. 

                         God exalted him to his own right hand 

                                                as Prince and Savior 

                                                    that he might bring Israel to repentance

                                                                                and forgive their sins. 

   We are witnesses of these things,

                                  and so is the Holy Spirit, 

               whom God has given to those who obey him.”

    When they heard this,

              they were furious and

                      wanted to put them to death. 

They were arrested again, but this time more discretely, so as to not start a riot. When questioned by the High Priest, Peter spoke up as representative for the apostles and stipulates to the charges being brought against them, namely that they were preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ as though it were actually possible and true, and blaming Jesus’ death on the religious leaders.

Peter didn’t disagree with the High Priest’s charges but admitted them while saying just why they did what they did. He made several good points that I will list…

• We must obey God rather than human beings (v.29)
• The Jesus you killed is now alive (v.30)
• That Jesus is Prince and Savior—the Messiah (v.31)
• The Holy Spirit is also a witness (v.32) living in those who obey God.

Now, let me ask the question, “What were Peter’s words in v.29?” What was the implication of this? Is it not that “We obey, you don’t.” So this truthful conclusion didn’t clear them. Instead it cut the Sadducees to the heart not in conviction but in anger and they began actively discussing how to have them killed.

What will happen? Will they be delivered or executed? Will the angel show up again? Will the people march on the palace? Tune in next week at this same Acts-time, same Acts-channel!

Cliffhanger aside, God’s plan for us is not destroyed or cast down by any attack from the outside. “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear” (Isa 59:1), we just need to make sure we have confessed our need for him to be our savior.

Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear what you are doing in the world today,

and the courageous love needed to jump in together and participate with you in your mission! 

---

[1] Henry Bettenson, ed. The Early Christian Fathers, [New York: Oxford University Press, 1956], 93. 

No Pretending (or, “Greed kills”)—Acts 4:32-5:11

This week we will press on into Chapter 5 and see good examples, bad examples, and an interesting parallel with Israel’s entrance into the land of Canaan under Joshua.

While I usually use the ESV for preaching and blogging, I used the NASB this week to coordinate with the Bibles in the pews here in Longview, WA.

Our passage this week is the second major description of the congregational life and general practices of the early church in Jerusalem. Let’s look at it section by section.

1) They were united in love and purpose (v.32)

   And the congregation of those who believed

                    were of one heart and soul;

  and not one of them claimed that anything

                             belonging to him was his own,

 but all things were common property to them.

While this sharing “of one heart and soul” is a familiar description of the church, we may not understand that it implies both the relational bond of deep friendship and a unity of purpose. That should be the norm in our churches but too often one or the other element is missing. Some churches love each other, but have no unity of purpose and others are quite missional, but the people end up merely as cogs in the wheels of the machine and are easily replaced at need. The early church was family in a profound way—They used their property to care for each other, rather than using each other to care for their property. As we have discussed previously, ownership is in the giving not in the possessing.

2) A Great Description of the Spirit at work in the Church (v.33)

   And with great power

                        the apostles

                                were giving testimony

                                                      to the resurrection

                                                      of the Lord Jesus,

   and abundant grace

                              was upon them all. 

What does Tony the Tiger say about Frosted Flakes cereal? “They’re Great!” This account reminds me of that saying because it is filled with superlatives using the Greek word μεγας (megas) three times.

o   The Apostles ministered with great power (4:33) in proclaiming the gospel, healing the sick, and delivering the demonized. But this power was not because they were some kind of 1^st Century Super-heros, it was because…

o   Great grace was upon them (4:33). It was the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives—made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ, according to the mission of the Father—who was working in and through them. When we realize how much God has truly done for us, our hearts are moved in acts of gratitude. Theirs were.

o   Great fear came upon all who heard what God was doing in their midst (5:5). Many believed, other stood back for such supernatural activity made them nervous. Sometimes we are too casual and take the things of God for granted. The Jerusalem church learned not to do that.

o   But the religious leaders were greatly annoyed (4:2). When God is leading his people, those who deem themselves to be the ones who should be in control are bound to become annoyed.

In our studies in Acts, we have seen that there was a very real connection between the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit and the practical care they showed to each other! But where did this care come from? It arose in whole-hearted response to the preaching of the gospel itself…a message that when received brought “abundant grace.”

The remarkable point about this verse is the implication that it was the powerful preaching of the gospel that motivated the earliest Christians to such generosity, not specifically preaching about money or impassioned exhortations from leaders to share possessions! The gospel message about God’s grace in Christ inspired a culture of self-giving in love (2 Cor. 8-9).[1]

3) They were intentional about loving one another (34-35)

For there was not a needy person among them,

 for all who were owners

                                of land or houses 

                                      would sell them

and bring the proceeds of the sales

   and lay them at the apostles’ feet,

        and they would be distributed

                                       to each as any had need.

The early church was not modeled after our western consumer culture but was communion-oriented. Their sharing of goods was neither socialism, nor communism, but Trinitarian. It was based on a loving, family, relational perspective patterned after the love of God. God is giving and loving within the Trinitarian God-head—the Father giving to the Son by the Spirit, the Son giving to the Father by the Spirit, etc.  

When there was a need in their midst, people as moved by gratitude in the Spirit would use their possessions to help each other. As persecution made it increasingly difficult to work and provide for one’s family they banded together. While we don’t currently face such persecution in America, will we show care for our brothers and sisters around the world who are in great need?

So are we willing to become more one in the Spirit? To be a spiritual family, following Jesus together, joining the Father in his great mission to redeem the world?

4) An Encouraging Example—Barnabas (v.36-37)

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth,

          who was also called Barnabas by the apostles

                                    (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 

   and who owned a tract of land, sold it

                                                      and brought the money

                                                     and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Joseph, aka Barnabas, is a great example of the "one in heart and mind” principle—both for the early church and for us today. In his humble and sincere giving he was actually participating in the work of the Spirit. His nickname, meaning Son of Encouragement, was appropriate in that everything he did and said tended to bestow courage on others to keep trusting God in their circumstances. For those of us who have had times when we didn’t know how we would be able to pay a bill, meet a deadline, bear up under the weight of grief, or ever find a loving place of belonging, we know how encouraging it is to have a Barnabas who steps up (without our asking) to share just what we needed whether finances, food, or friendship. I am personally encouraged when I see how well you respond in warmly welcoming visitors and in caring for each other (e.g., meal trains, hospitality, acts of service, personal prayer, etc.). I hope you sense that as well.

5) A Dreadful Example—Ananias & Sapphira (5:1-11)

   But a man named Ananias, 

            with his wife Sapphira,

                    sold a piece of property, 

and kept back some of the price for himself,

           with his wife’s full knowledge,

    and bringing a portion of it,

          he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 

  But Peter said,

             “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart

                                          to lie to the Holy Spirit

and to keep back

                        some of the price of the land? 

      While it remained unsold,

          did it not remain your own?

And after it was sold,

        was it not under your control?

   Why is it that you have 

                     conceived this deed in your heart?

                       You have not lied to men but to God.” 

   And as he heard these words,

               Ananias fell down and breathed his last;

 and great fear came over all who heard of it. 

  The young men                got up

                     and covered him up,

             and after carrying him out,

                       they buried him.

Ananias was a 1^st Century example of what those in marketing call “puffing” (exaggerating your own quality or effort). However, just like when you write a resume those lies always come back to bite you. This conscious and concerted effort by Ananias and his wife Sapphira was the opposite of Barnabas. They were participating in the devil’s work of lying to the Spirit. The word translated “kept back” is used to describe a misappropriation of resources.

While this narrative is not really about giving, but about honesty, I don’t think I am out of line to make the comparison that when we come to Christ and declare our faith in the sacrament of baptism, we come to surrender all of our life…not just part of it while pretending to give it all. Certainly the Christian life is a journey, a process, but it is one directed towards Christ. We are not perfect yet, we all fail, but there is no room for us to plan to lie to God and his church.

John and Peter had been jailed and sternly warned to stop proclaiming Christ. Their Spirit-filled boldness, and that of the unified community of believers, was not deterred by this attack from the outside. So it seems that the devil brought a spiritual attack on the church at this time from the inside. This is where this narrative sounds much like the story of Eve being tempted by the serpent in Genesis 3 and Achan’s sin in Joshua 7.

This passage reminds me of the scene in the hilarious and convicting 2003 movie Flywheel, where a used car salesman named Jay Austin actually put an empty tithe envelope into the church offering pretending to be a giver when he wasn’t. Over 30 years in ministry, I have seen this happen with some regularity. I remember thinking that if you must pretend to give, at least don’t seal the envelope so it can be reused! After all, they cost somebody else’s money to print.

This word Luke used for “held back” was the same word used in the Greek translation of Joshua 7 for the devoted things that Achan hid in his tent. Perhaps, Luke’s word choice would have jogged the reader’s memory of that incident. Let’s take a look.

"Achan replied, "It is true!  I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.  This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.  They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." (Joshua 7:20-23)

Achan's words, "It is true!  I have sinned against the Lord," certainly formed a complete, formal confession, but it was without any indication of sorrow for his sin and the trouble and pain that he had caused (36 deaths, national humiliation, and discouragement, God's anger, etc.).  We should note that confession, given when there is no way to avoid it rather than from a sincere heart, is not the confession unto forgiveness.  There is a difference between repentance and simply getting caught!  His heart was hardened; his conscience appears to have been seared.  He shamelessly recited the inventory of the spoil he had taken (or by which his heart was taken):

1. A beautiful robe from Babylonia: His taking of the robe indicated a desire on his part to be somehow stylish; it was the fruit of prideful self-love.
2. Two hundred shekels of silver: about five pounds of silver (approximately $1700 today) that should have been given to the Lord's treasury.
3. A wedge of gold: 50 shekels weighed about 1 1/4 pounds (approximately $22,000 today).  It also should have been given to the Lord's treasury.  The taking of the gold and silver indicated that he felt that he was more deserving of it than God.  He esteemed "self" rather than God.  The choice is still the same today.

Not only did Achan tell what he took, but he also narrated the process he went through to sin.  He said, “When I saw...  I coveted (or desired)...  I took.”  It always works the same way.  As it is written,

"But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full‑grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15)

Achan’s narration should point back even further to the temptation of Eve & Adam in Genesis 3:4-6. In the Garden, Eve’s response to the serpent’s lie followed the same process as Achan. How many deaths did they cause by their sin?

Back in Acts, Ananias’ sin was in lying to the Holy Spirit (v.3) /God (v.4).

The ‘original sin’ of the church is portrayed in terms of the misuse of money and possessions! Ananias and Sapphira disregarded the presence of God in the Christian community, the sacredness of that fellowship in God’s eyes, and the relational aspect of their sin. They failed to discern that a deliberate act of deceit against the church was a sin against the Lord of the church… His error was to pretend that he had given everything when he had only given a part, thus making himself to be more generous and self-sacrificing than he really was.[2]

It is interesting how Dr. Luke records the manner of Ananias’ death. He is one to notice such things. Luke writes simply that “Ananias fell down and breathed his last,” but when we take into consideration that breath and spirit are the same word in Greek, it seems to allude to the fact that his spirit left him. While the others were “filled with the Holy Spirit” Peter discerned that Satan had filled Ananias’ heart.

Although Luke does not expect that the greedy will always meet with instantaneous judgment, he has no doubt about ultimate accountability to God (Lk 12:1-21)… [It is] a warning against anything that hinders the expression of unity, love, and holiness in the fellowship created by the Spirit.[3]

We need to stop pretending with God...and with each other.

A Dreadful Example—the Sequel... Sapphira (5:7-11)

  Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours,               

           and his wife came in,

                          not knowing what had happened.

  And   Peter responded to her,

“Tell me whether you sold the land

           for such and such a price?”

And she said,

              “Yes, that was the price.”

  Then Peter said to her,

    “Why is it that you have agreed together

                  to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?

 Behold, the feet of those

                                who have buried your husband

                            are at the door, and

                                they will carry you out as well.”

   And immediately she fell at his feet

                             and breathed her last,

                 and the young men came in

                                  and found her dead,

                 and they carried her out

                          and buried her beside her husband.

   And great fear came

                           over the whole church, and

                           over all who heard of these things.

This section could be titled, "Spiritual lie-detector: Take Two!" Three hours later, when Sapphira showed up, wondering what was taking her husband so long, Peter took the opportunity to check her story, letting her testify for herself, giving her an opportunity to come clean. However, she persisted in their plan of lying about their degree of commitment. They wanted to benefit more than they blessed others. We should note that Sapphira didn’t die for her husband’s sin, but for her own decision to participate in it.

Her death three hours after her husband, at the proclamation of Peter, brought great fear, as well as it should. I confess it makes me a little nervous wondering how often we may have lied to God. It truly is by his mercy that we have not suffered the same fate! Can I get an “Amen?”

God was doing a new thing, and greed and scheming hearts filled by Satan had no part in it.

“By the positive work of his Spirit in their midst (illustrated in Acts 2-4) and by this summary act of judgment, excluding from among them those who were not ‘one in heart and mind’ (4:32), God was unmistakably designating them as his own, the new Israel in the midst of the old.”[4]

6) Back to Business as Usual—Participating in the Mission of God

At the hands of the apostles

                                  many signs and wonders

                                  were taking place among the people;

                 and they were all with one accord

                                              in Solomon’s portico.

   But none of the rest dared to associate with them;

                                                           however, the people

                held them in high esteem. 

   And all the more believers in the Lord,

                                 multitudes of men and women,

                                 were constantly added to their number, 

                                                    to such an extent that

        they even carried the sick

                              out into the streets and

                         laid them on cots and pallets,

                                   so that when Peter came by 

                                        at least his shadow might fall

                                                     on any one of them. 

                                                                   Also the people

                  from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem

                       were coming together,

            bringing people who were

                                         sick or

                                         afflicted with unclean spirits,

            and they were all being healed.

Just as the blessing of God was upon Israel after the sin of Achan was removed, after Ananias and Sapphira’s lie was revealed and dealt with, the Holy Spirit’s presence continued in their midst, working powerfully! Here are a few observations:

• There were “signs and wonders” as part of the proclamation of the gospel message.
• The church was again described as “in one accord” (Relational Unity + Shared Purpose)
• The Gospel message continued to both attract and divide.
• More people believed in Jesus all the time, both men and women.
• People continued to be healed and delivered.
• The testimony and ministry of the church spread beyond Jerusalem into Judea hinting at things to come.

One note on v. 15, there is no comment in the text as to whether “Peter’s shadow” did any good. Certainly, it is not a prescriptive practice for us today.

However, a valid question for us to ask is if we, like the early church, will participate in the work of the Holy Spirit? John 16:7-15 makes it clear that the Holy Spirit tells us the truth. He speaks to us…

• About Jesus—He is the Messiah, the risen Savior, the Lord of all.
• About ourselves—we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23)
• About the heart of God—that it is patient and tender in love towards us, working on our behalf, wooing us, inviting us back into a relationship with him.
• The conviction of the Holy Spirit draws us back to Christ in confession and repentance.

In comparison, the Devil is the father of lies and when he lies he speaks his native language.

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44b)

So when the lies of the enemy lead us (like they led Ananias & Sapphira), we will:

• Doubt God’s heart
• Disobey God’s Word
• Think we can Deceive the Holy Spirit.
• Distance ourselves from God and his people
• Allow the devil's condemnation to drive us away from the Lord and each other.

Who are we listening to this week? The Holy Spirit, or the devil?

Have we sinned? If so, then let's be quick to confess it, turn away from it, and return to the Lord who loves us more deeply and more faithfully than we can imagine.

Have we confessed our sin, but still feel burdened under the weight of guilt? In such times it is my habit to verbally rebuke the spirit of condemnation in the name of Jesus Christ, and by faith stand on the promise of God in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Then I take time to praise God for his love and grace towards me. 

I find that such a practice makes short work of the enemy’s habit of reminding me of my failures.

---

[1] Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, 205.

[2] Ibid. 209.

[3] Ibid. 208

[4] Ibid. 213.