SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 30 November 2025
Sermon Series: “The Acts of the Apostles” (#8)
Sermon Text: Acts 5:1-16
Main Points:
Introduction
I. The Church is under attack
II. The Spirit keeps His Church pure
III. The Spirit’s presence brings both awe and life
Conclusion
The first impression we get from Acts 5:1-11 is one of deep tragedy. In the earliest days of the NT church – when the community was young, vibrant, and full of grace – such a shocking event took place. For some people, this story has been a painful stumbling block. Some feel the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira is too severe. Some of them go so far as to question its historicity, suggesting it might be a legend rather than a real event.
But we know that the word of God is Spirit-inspired and profitable for teaching, for reproof, and for building us up in righteousness. We trust that God has given us everything necessary for our salvation and for godly living, and that nothing in Scripture is wasted or unnecessary. So, we come to this passage humbly, asking the Spirit to open our eyes and reveal His will for us.
To put the conclusion up front: the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira stand as a sobering marker – a divine warning to NT believers about the seriousness of sinning against the Holy Spirit. At the same time, this passage shows that the Spirit of God fiercely protects His Church from threats both outside and within, preserving it purity. He is the One who causes the Church to grow, who strengthens His people amid challenges and deceptions, and who keeps His saints holy within His Church until the day of Christ’s return – the day of judgment and final redemption.
I. The Church Is Under Attack
In order to grasp the whole picture, we need to go slightly backward to the last part of ch. 4, beginning from v. 32. There, you hear about what the believers of the early church did. They shared everything in common; no one claimed ownership of any possessions, so that anyone in need could benefit from them. People sold properties and brought the proceeds to the apostles for distribution according to each person’s needs. A truly amazing community living under the name and power of God and Christ!
In the midst of all this, one specific man’s name is highlighted. His name was Joseph, also called by the apostles as Barnabas – meaning ‘son of encouragement.’ He sold a field he owned and brought the full amount to the apostles for the purpose of helping those in need among the church members. The story of Ananias and Sapphira must be read against this backdrop.
This couple wanted to do the same. They sold their property. Whether before or after the sale, we do not know; but they agreed together to give not the whole amount but only a part of it to the church. The real problem is not that they kept some back for themselves (which was not sinful or wrong in itself), but that they claimed the portion they brought as if it were the whole amount, presenting themselves as more generous and sacrificial than they truly were. In doing so, they desired a reputation similar to that of Joseph, called Barnabas – the ‘son of encouragement.’ In a sense, they wished to purchase a ‘title,’ a name for themselves.
But notice what the Apostle Peter identifies as the true core of the matter in v. 3: he says that the Satan filled Ananias’ heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. The issue was not simply that Ananias and Sapphira sought a reputation; the deeper problem was that they followed Satan’s scheme of breaking the purity and unity of the Church and lied to the Spirit of God.
Yet, there’s still a larger backdrop we must keep in view to understand the nature of this event. It lies in what the Jewish leaders had done to Peter and John earlier in Acts 4. They arrested both apostles and held them overnight. The next day, they commanded them not to preach the resurrection of Jesus – indeed, not to speak or teach at all in that name. In effect, they attempted to silence the gospel at its source and choke the growing witness of the early church.
So, on one hand, persecution came from without through the threats and commands of the Jewish leaders. But now, with Ananias and Sapphira, deception rose from within. While the hostile authorities could not accomplish by force and intimation, Satan attempted to accomplish through hypocrisy and secret corruption, planting deception right inside the fellowship of believers to fracture the young Church.
This is the full picture: the Church was under attack – not only by eternal forces but also by spiritual infiltration. The enemy, Satan, often works this way. When the Church stands firm against pressure from outside, he tries to weaken it from within.
Truth is that this has been the pattern Christ’s church faces. While the attacks from without are easily identifiable, the attacks from within are often subtle and difficult to discern. Let me explain it with two examples from church history.
One example is the persecutions initiated by the Roman authorities against Christianity. We know when those persecutions broke out and how far they spread in terms of time and geography.
But, here is another example – the attacks from within. We’re not exactly sure when the churches began using icons or painted images in worship services and church life. We can only guess that it began somewhere between the 4th and 6th centuries, likely in eastern regions of the Roman Empire. We know that the use of icons, paintings, or statutes in Christian worship – indeed, even in the devotional life of the church – is unbiblical and sinful. But, no church historian can say with certainty when, how, or by whom these practices were first accepted in the NT church.
I assure you, the threat that rises from within is far more dangerous than the one that comes from without. And that is exactly what we see in Acts 5! Ananias and Sapphira wanted to buy a ‘title,’ a reputation of generosity and sacrifice. But in doing so, they introduced a deadly threat from within – a threat that struck at the very heart of the Church’s holiness and put its very existence in jeopardy!
II. The Spirit Keeps His Church Pure
But the Spirit of God knows the schemes of the enemy. He weighs them and protects His Church from attacks, keeping it pure and undefiled.
Notice what Peter says in Acts 5:3, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …?” Also in v. 9, he addresses Sapphira, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?” The Holy Spirit revealed their sin to Peter, exposing it for the sake of the Church.
This reminds us of a similar, almost mirrored, event in the OT – the story of Achan in Jos. 7. After Israel crossed the Jordan and faced Jericho, God commanded that only silver, gold, bronze, and iron be devoted to Him, and that everything, including human and animal, be destroyed. But Achan disobeyed and kept some goods for himself. Later, when Israel attacked Ai, their spirit was high, but they were defeated, and the people’s courage collapsed. Joshua tore his clothes, fell face down before the ark of the covenant, and sought God’s guidance.
God told him that it was because of the sin Israel committed. So, Joshua summoned Israel, tribe by tribe. God singled out Judah, then the Zerahite clan, and finally Achan. Joshua said to him, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to Him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” So, Achan confessed.
The punishment was severe: Achan, his family, all his possessions and animals were taken outside the camp and burned and stoned. Israel then piled a great heap of stones over them. It was a visible reminder of the seriousness of disobedience to all members of the OT church.
Both cases – Achan in the OT and Ananias and Sapphira in the New – share a key feature – that is, they occurred at the very early stages of God’s covenant community. Israel had just triumphed at Jericho, and the early Church had just won three thousand souls on the day of Pentecost. In both cases, God’s people had experienced great victories. Yet, Satan’s subtle, deceptive attacks arose from within. Achan hid silver and gold; Ananias and Sapphira concealed part of their offering and lied to the Holy Spirit.
Just as Joshua was grieved by Israel’s defeat at Ai, Peter was deeply disturbed by the deceit Ananias and Sapphira brought into the Church. You can almost sense their turmoil – a mixture of grief over sin and righteous anger at evil.
In both cases, the punishment was death. But that was not the end. The stone heap at the place called the Valley of Achor remained a perpetual warning, and the story of Ananias and Sapphira stands in the book of Acts for all believers to read and learn from. Their deaths serve as a vivid, enduring reminder – that God keeps His Church pure.
No matter how fiercely the world may try to suppress the Church, no matter how many false teachings, deceptions, or slanders arise from within, the Spirit of God preserves His Church in holiness and righteousness.
Isa. 11 we read earlier today provides a clear picture of this. The chapter begins by announcing the coming Messiah, and calls Him as “the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots.” V. 3 tells us that He will judge not by appearance, but with righteousness. And the chapter paints a vivid image of peace – the wolf dwelling with the lamb, the leopard lying with the young goat, a little child leading the calf and the lion together, even the nursing child playing over the cobra’s den.
Isn’t it striking that we see glimpses of this in the book of Acts? Twice already, we’ve read and seen signs of this kingdom coming. Firstly, Acts 2:42-47. The early NT church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. V. 44 says, “All who believed were together and had all things in common.” More than three thousand people were one in Christ!
Secondly, Acts 4:32-37. It says, “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.” Here, the full number was over eight thousand!
And yet, among them, there must’ve been figurative ‘leopards and lions’ as well as ‘lambs and calves.’ Yet, they live together in unity, sharing all things. Truly, Isaiah’s vision of the Spirit-led kingdom begins to unfold in the book of Acts – not in fullness yet, but as a foretaste of what is to come. When Christ returns, it’ll be fully realised and everlasting!
God’s will is clear; He keeps His Church pure – no matter what! The Spirit guards His people, protects them from the schemes of the enemy, and preserves His Church in holiness. This is the unchanging truth revealed in both the Old and NTs – God’s Church belongs to Him, and the Holy Spirit ensures that it remains undefiled.
III. The Spirit’s Presence Brings Both Awe And Life
I could say much more about the Lord’s work in keeping His Church pure! But, I’ll leave that for another day. Today, I want to focus on the beautiful and awe-inspiring outcome of the Spirit’s work: when the Holy Spirit presides in His Church and preserves it in holiness, both awe and life prevail!
As we see in Acts 5:5, 11 and 12-16, the early church witnessed holiness firsthand – not as a cold, harsh severity, but as a pathway to life. The sobering judgments against Ananias and Sapphira did not cause the congregation to shrink in fear. V. 14 tells us that “More than ever believers were added to the Lord”!
The pattern is not unique to the NT. The OT church experienced the same principle – that is, after Israel dealt with Achan and overcame Ai, they did not stop in fear but continued advancing, conquering many more cities and towns in the promised land. God’s justice and holiness did not stifle life – it produced growth, courage, and a thriving community.
So the presence of the Spirit in the Church is both awe-inspiring and life-giving. The holiness of God should never be seen as a barrier or burden, but as the very means by which He sustains His people and brings His kingdom forward.
Conclusion
So, what is the lesson for us to take home – and to carry with us everywhere we go? Be focused; be brave; be courageous. Do not be shaken by any wind that blows through this world. Why? Because nothing can shake us as the mighty Lord holds us in His hands. His Spirit dwells within us, and He never leaves His people unprotected. In fact, He has placed us within a fortress that no enemy can breach!
The Pharaohs of Egypt and the kings of Babylon could not hold God’s Church under their feet or turn God’s people into their subjects. The Jewish leaders could not contain the gospel of Jesus Christ within the walls of Jerusalem. In the same way, the evil of this present generation will never silence us or bind our feet with laws and restrictions. Satan himself will never be able to facture Christ’s Church with deceptions from within. Why? Because the Spirit of God holds us fast, keeping us pure in the name of Christ the Son, our Saviour!
So, be brave and courageous. Let us speak Christ, and let us live Christ in every part of our lives! May our Lord keep us faithful until the day He returns. Amen. ***
St Columba's Presbyterian Church 