The Fellowship Had Fakes

This early church, by the way, did not have the New Testament to confirm their prayer as the right kind of prayer. They didn't have theological volumes on the sovereignty of God. They didn't have centuries of church practice and faith to set the example for them. It's as if the sovereign God who held the world in the palm of his hand just shook his hand a little bit and rattled the cupboards and the plates and the windows as if to say to this early fellowship, you're praying the right prayer. You're headed in the right direction.

Keep it up. It was important to the members of the early church that they live lives pleasing to God. They were excited about their salvation and they wanted to do all that they could to live in obedience to God. They understood something that we need to understand today. That is, the reputation of Jesus Christ is closely tied to our reputation.

The way we act is a direct reflection upon our King. We're going to explore this topic today on this lesson from our Vintage Wisdom Series. Stephen Davey has a message for you today entitled, The Fellowship Had Fakes. In our last discussion, we observed Peter and John standing before the Sanhedrin with this healed beggar. And they were given the command to be quiet, never to speak of Jesus again. They went back to their fellowship, their assembly and told the story. And what happens next is the body breaks out into this spontaneous time of prayer. We could easily spend our entire discussion this morning on their prayer.

We're not going to do that. But before we get to the rather bad story, the rather dark news of this church's history, I do want to pull a couple of things out for you. If you're following in your notes, there are three things about their prayer that struck me as I studied it.

Let me give them to you quickly. It seems that they decide to begin their prayer by acknowledging God's power through creation. If you'll look at chapter 4 verse 23 of the Book of Acts, we'll pick our story up there. The scriptures read, When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, Lord, what are you doing? Why did you allow your servants, Peter and John, to be thrown into jail?

No. They began their prayer not by asking why, but by stating who. Look. Oh Lord, it is thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. And when you face discouraging times, it's a good time to remind yourself of who God is. They are going to include in their prayer an acknowledgement of God's predestination of conflict. Interesting thought that emanates from these verses. Verse 27.

Look there. For truly in this city, they continue to pray, there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, note this, to do whatever thy hand and thy purpose predestined to occur. What an incredible perspective they had. Lord, what has happened has happened according to your will. It may have caused a sleepless night for the church. We don't quite understand what's going on, but we know you planned it according to your purpose. And frankly, men and women, I think we're very vulnerable to discouragement and to defeat until we can see that conflict and trouble never come into our lives without the permission of God. And furthermore, those things never barge into your life without ultimately fitting into God's sovereign plan for your life, even though we don't understand it. Even though it is a bad thing.

Even though it is a difficult thing. The Bible never promised that everything that would come to our lives would be good. The Bible promised that all things would work together for what?

Good. So in light of that, they throw in this third element as if they said, now we're going to end our prayer with a request for perseverance with courage. Verse 29, and now, Lord, take note of their threats. In other words, you can handle it. You know what's going on.

You know what they're saying. You just take note of their threats. But grant that thy bondservants may speak thy word with all confidence. My friend, nowhere in the book of Acts or anywhere else in the New Testament pages do you ever read of the Church asking God to make the world a friendly place.

Never. The Church here sets a classic example for us when facing the persecution of its leadership. They do not pray here for the Sanhedrin to get off their backs. They do not ask God to give the political leaders in Israel sympathy for what the Church is trying to do.

Although this might be a radical thought, they didn't even pray for a conservative to replace Caiaphas in the Sanhedrin. Here's a classic example of a Church under persecution as it were asking God not to clean up the fish pond wherein they swam, but to give them courage and boldness to fish, to rescue fish from that putrid society and rescue them for the clear, pure water of the kingdom. That's what they were praying for here. Grant that thy bondservants may speak thy word with all confidence. Now notice verse 31, and when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

I love this. The early Church, by the way, did not have the New Testament to confirm their prayer as the right kind of prayer. They didn't have theological volumes on the sovereignty of God.

They didn't have centuries of Church practice and faith to set the example for them. It's as if this sovereign God who held the world in the palm of his hand just shook his hand a little bit and rattled the cupboards and the plates and the windows as if to say to this early fellowship, you're praying the right prayer. You're headed in the right direction.

Keep it up. I think that this Church at this moment in time is invincible. Verse 32 says, the congregation of those who believe 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, and with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 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. Now, this is not communal living. This is community living.

You can't sell something you don't own. But as the needs arose in the body, those who had assets would sell them and bring the money and lay them at the apostles' feet so that the needs of others would be taken care of. This is a challenge for the Church today, not to retreat to the woods somewhere and establish a commune, but to have community care and concern for the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. You say, you know, I want that kind of community living.

In fact, that's one of the reasons I wish colonial weren't so large. I can't seem to wrap my arms around this fellowship. I run into strangers more often than I do people I know. Do you feel that way?

You probably don't know the people around you. Well, be encouraged by the fact that the Church in Acts at this point in time in their history numbered somewhere between 10 and 15,000 people. They had 12 apostles on full-time staff. And they were about to enlist an entire body of men that probably established the diaconate that would do nothing more than administrate the financial needs of just the widows. There were so many of them.

This was an incredibly large organism, and according to Acts, it was growing every single day. But I think the key was that nobody ever joined the Church in Jerusalem with the attitude of, okay, here I am now. What can you and God do for me?

I think they came in with the attitude, okay, here I am now. What can I do for God, and what can I do for you? What kind of person are we? Now let me give you some things about Barnabas' gifts that stand out. First of all, look there. He owned, verse 37, a tract of land. He sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. The first thing that strikes me about it is that it was spontaneous.

What I mean by that is it wasn't forced. This is the kind of giving that emanated from his heart of love for the Lord and the Lord's Church. Nobody called him up and said, Barnabas, we know you own that piece of land over there. I think we ought to sell that and give the money to the apostles.

That'd be the right thing for you to do. No, he came first. Evidently it was his idea.

Spontaneous act out of love. Secondly, his giving was sacrificial. It says he owned a tract of land and he brought the money. The contrasting story that we're about to get to implies then that Joseph or Barnabas brought all the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles. He evidently held his possessions loosely.

I read where Corrie ten Boom, a woman you may be familiar with who endured the horror of a Nazi concentration camp, she wrote one time that she's learned through that experience not to hold tightly to things because it caused too much pain whenever the father pried her fingers loose. I think Barnabas is that kind of man. He wasn't clinging tightly. There wasn't any pain involved in giving something of his treasure to the Lord. The third thing that I noticed from him is that his giving was selfless.

What I mean by that is it wasn't flamboyant. Barnabas didn't come into the assembly with the announcement, everybody listen up, I've got a gift to give. You know that piece of land that's been in my family for years? Well, I sold it and I'm giving the money.

No, we don't have any idea that there were any strings attached. He didn't say to the apostles, look gentlemen, I'll give you that money, but you know when we build that auditorium, maybe you could just kind of call it the Barnabas Memorial Auditorium. By the way, that's how money is raised in America by the millions, by attaching the gift and the name of the giver in some public way. Now there isn't any doubt in my mind that with a church of 15,000 people that somebody then slap him on the back. Way to go, sunshine.

Man, that's just like you. Barnabas, what an example you are, how encouraging you did that, what a model for us all. I have no doubt that people sent him notes and thanked him and he was gaining in popularity among the body.

I don't think that's what he had in mind, but he was just sort of cream. He was rising as it were to the forefront. All I do know is that this church at this moment in Jerusalem was incredible. It was joyful. It was contagious.

It was effective. But don't ever forget, my friend, that just because you're that kind of church doesn't mean the enemy of the church is surrendered. The roaring lion never retreats. He just withdraws for a moment and changes his strategy. And if Satan cannot conquer the church from without, he will seek to corrupt the church from within. And that's exactly what's going to happen next. The next verse, chapter five, verse one, begins with the word but.

You want to underline or circle it? I think it's an unfortunate chapter division because these are two stories that Luke intended to contrast. But, that is in contrast to what you've just seen in Barnabas, Luke writes, there was a certain man named Ananias who with his wife, Sapphira, sold a piece of property.

The implication is two. Barnabas sold his property. Well, Ananias and Sapphira then sold their property too.

They went out and did the same thing. And verse two, 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? I find it interesting, ladies and gentlemen, the very first problem the church had to deal with was not immorality, not embezzlement, not anger, not even defection. The first problem the church had to deal with was hypocrisy.

Well, let's look at two things about Ananias and Sapphira before we draw too much application. First of all, their giving attempted to make them look pious. They looked respectable.

They looked spiritual, but they were acting. Somebody in the fellowship gave me a few years ago, all the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Fascinating.

The creator and author of Sherlock Holmes. And I read where one day as a prank, this man who evidently is an interesting man, one day as a prank, he sent a telegram to some of his closest friends and esteemed associates, men respected in the community. He sent a telegram that simply read, Flee at once, all is discovered.

Within 24 hours, 12 of them had fled the country. What if you got a telegram like that, that simply said, you've been found out? What would go through your mind? Their gift giving, secondly, overlooked God's perceptiveness, which is really interesting when you think about the fact that they had been in the prayer meeting, that it acknowledged God's sovereignty to take note of the threats of evil men outside the church. Now, if God could take note of the evil outside the church, wouldn't they think that God could notice evil within the church?

Of all the things they were, what they weren't was bright. To think they could fool God who was moving with such miraculous power. How foolish sin is.

Why is it, Peter says, you've conceived this deed in your heart, you have not lied to men, but to God. Verse five, and as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last. Can you imagine being in the assembly that day? And great fear came upon all who heard of it. And the young men arose and covered them up and after carrying him out, they buried him.

Now, verse seven reads, there elapsed an interval of about three hours. And his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her and I stopped there. That indicates that she said something for him to respond to her. Luke doesn't tell us what she said. But can you imagine the scene here?

Can you imagine she's entered and it's been three hours between the time her husband had come and all that had occurred. This was part of the plan. You see, they wanted prestige and appreciation. They wanted acknowledgement. They were trying to get to the top, as if there was any top to get to. And so they planned it so that it wouldn't look anything like they were after attention.

So I'll tell you what, honey, you go ahead and you take care of it and then I'll come three hours later real nonchalant and, you know, just join the party. She had no idea that they just buried her husband. She had no idea that for three hours the church has been mourning the loss of its brother.

She had no idea the church is still reeling from the swift punishment of God and discipline in the life of one of their own. And here she comes, and I imagine people all around the assembly kind of quieted down, wherever they were, a large house or outdoors. And I imagine she noticed that as she walked in, maybe she thought they were quiet, and they were all looking at her because of the gift that had been received. And this was now the admiration that she and her husband had wanted.

She was now on center stage, her mask firmly on. She doesn't see her husband anywhere. Maybe she looked around as she walked toward the apostles. Maybe, maybe she thought, well, they've probably already taken him, and they're in some closed-door meeting, developing strategy with other leaders for the church.

Maybe with some kind of contrived humility and sweetness, she said, have you seen my husband? Has he given the gift, you know, our sacrificial gift to the church, and how we love the church. We love this church.

We're so happy to give what we gave. Something related to that was spoken by her, because Peter then responds point blank, Sapphira, did you sell the land for such and such a price? Now that's a strange question.

Stop. Why would he ask her that? Surely her mind now begins to wonder. Did Ananias change the story? Did he forget the price that we'd agreed upon? Did we tell the apostles? Did he make it larger because of their approval?

Did he minimize it? Why would he ask me about the price of the land that doesn't fit this scene? And maybe at that moment, the Holy Spirit prods her heart, tell the truth, stop acting. And she said, maybe after a momentary pause, yes, that was the price. Then Peter said to her, why is it that you've agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold the feet of those who've buried your husband are at the door and they shall carry you out as well. And she fell immediately 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. Don't ever forget the potential price for wearing a spiritual mask is the lesson the church in Jerusalem learned that day. Two fresh graves were worth a million sermons on honesty.

Why would God move with such swift response? Maybe this context will help a little bit, but I was helped by some of my friends in my library who talked about how when Israel first moved into the land, they first entered Canaan. The first thing they had to deal with was deceit.

As Achan stole what had been forbidden then he hid it in his tent. God moved swiftly and taught the nation the importance of integrity and authenticity as his people. Now this new thing called the church, which has just recently moved into this new dispensation called grace, the lesson remains the same.

Integrity and authenticity are not optional. They are essential for the church. Can I tie it together with two thoughts? Keep your Bibles open. We'll look at another verse in just a moment.

But here are a couple of principles of application. Number one, the joy within a church family is enhanced when its members refuse the temptation of spiritual masks. Has it ever occurred to you that everybody you pass in the hallway, everyone you meet today in church is facing a battle somewhere? Everybody. Everyone in this auditorium is facing a challenge somewhere. Might be in their personal lives, their marriage, their parenting, their business. It might be loneliness.

It might be temptation. The church is the kind of place, it ought to be the place where we can admit that kind of thing. Church ought to be a place like that. If you're engaging in a battle, tell somebody. Tell somebody you know, some Sunday school teacher, a spiritual friend, a pastor, maybe a mentor in here. And if somebody tells you something like, I'm facing a battle here, don't pretend when you say, I'll pray for you.

Don't put on that spiritual response of a mask that says, well bless your heart, I'll pray for you, and then never think of them again. Frankly, Ananias and Sapphira were vulnerable because they did not hold each other accountable. Whether it was Ananias or Sapphira who first came up with the idea, the other one should have immediately rebuked them.

Sapphira should have said, Ananias, a shame on you for thinking of that. They should have kept each other in check. As one man said, we all need somebody in our lives we cannot fool. And if you're married, you are blessed if you have a wife or a husband that you cannot fool.

You are in trouble if you don't. The problem with these two was the fact that they did not hold each other accountable to honesty and integrity. And they moved toward this plot and this plan. They discussed it around the kitchen table. They came up with the idea.

They sold the property. They agreed on their story. And they went into the assembly to do nothing other than gain prestige and attention, to gain the prominence in the assembly. Well, a fellowship of authentic believers who choose to drop their masks and come in, warts and all, understanding that we are all clay than anybody here that's arrived.

The fact that I'm about two and a half feet higher than anybody doesn't mean anything at all by the way. We are all on a journey. We are all learning. We are all failing.

We are all growing. And this ought to be the kind of place where that can be known. Second, the effectiveness of a church family is empowered when its members reflect the character of its savior. And I say that simply because integrity and evangelism are powerful companions. In an age where our American culture is asking for a model, is asking for something authentic, where are real people? At this moment in our lives, ladies and gentlemen, the church has slipped down somewhere in the list as the people that could provide the model. We, as one man wrote that I've quoted before, who used to tell the world to repent, are now being told by the world that we ought to repent. Have you ever thought about the fact though, ladies and gentlemen, that the reputation of Colonial Baptist Church is whatever your reputation is?

How are we doing? Is this fellowship a place of integrity? Is it clean or is it off color? Is it humble or is it power hungry racing for another rung of the ladder? Is it credible or untrustworthy? Is it pure or does it have a dirty mouth?

Well, let's forget Colonial for a moment. The reputation of Jesus Christ happens to be what your reputation is in the world. Wow.

How's he doing? Notice verse 11. Here's the reputation. I find this fascinating. And great fear came upon the whole church. Now this is unfortunate in a way because in the previous chapter you had the words great joy, great rejoicing, now the words great fear.

But notice this. Great fear came upon the whole church and upon all those who heard these things. Skip to verse 13. But none of the rest dared to associate with them.

However, the people held them in high esteem. Where are you going to church? Well, I go to the church in Jerusalem. You do? I wouldn't join that church if you paid me. Why not? Well, you know what they do to liars over there?

Boom, funerals. They don't put up with dishonesty there is what I've heard. You can't be a fake in that fellowship. How do we gain that kind of esteem from the watching world where there is a sense of awe and respect because we have gained such credibility? Well, I'll tell you, we will not gain that by going on a witch hunt within these walls for all the hypocrites.

Line them up and shoot them. We'd all have to stand in that line. We gain that kind of credibility and esteem. God through us creates that kind of awe as we establish the credibility and character of our own personal reputation. And as we join together, the collective sense of your character and reputations establishes a church that's known for its integrity and honesty and purity. That when you say you'll do something, you do it. That when you fail at something, you admit it. That you're not clawing and scraping over and above everybody else.

That you have a sense that God is at work and you will settle for nothing less than the holiness and purity of God to so establish itself in your character that it emanates from you before a world that's needy and watching. So we start with ourselves. Let me read you the words that were found on a tombstone.

An Anglican bishop was buried in Westminster Abbey a few generations ago and I think these words sort of sum it all up. This is where we start. This is what we're going to do. Listen to this. When I was young and free, this tombstone reads, and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older, I discovered the world would not change. So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But it too seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. But now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize if I had only been changed, then by example, perhaps I could have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and who knows, I may have even changed the world. Where do we begin? We begin with the person seated in your seat this morning. That's where we begin.

What about you? Are you willing to live for Christ, even if it means going against the flow of your culture? I'm glad you joined us today and I hope this lesson encouraged you. You're listening to Wisdom for the Heart. We've gone back to the archives in our vintage wisdom library to bring you this lesson from the Book of Acts entitled, The Fellowship Had Fakes. Find it on our website, which is wisdomonline.org. While you're at that website, be sure and look around and learn more about our ministry and the resources we offer. And join us again for more Wisdom for the Heart.