"BE SURE YOU'RE SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT"!!
(Acts 5:1-11)-(Numbers:32:23)

I want to make an announcement, "There's no such thing as getting by with it"! Paul once said to the believers at Galatia, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

WHO ARE WE TO THINK....that a God who knows our "idle" words, has our "tears" kept in a bottle and recorded in a book, knows the number of the "hairs" on each persons head, knows our "thoughts" before we even think them, has a finished book about the "history" of the human race before the end has even got here, ETC......WHO ARE WE TO THINK THAT ANYTHING GETS BY GOD?

*For those who think "a tree that falls in the middle of the woods doesn't make a sound if no one's there to hear it"....I've got news for you!..... Jesus told us in his word that "there's not a sparrow that falls to the ground without the Father knowing it"!!!-(He knows if a bird or a bug dies...he attends their funeral cause he's GOD!!!)

And, knowing this....we must remember that in life you've got to pay attention to detail, because GOD IS!!!-(The Rich man, Judas Isacariot, Dathan, Haman....Annanias & Sapphira ignored the all-seeing and all-knowing eye of the Almighty!)

To those who think that this verse is for lost people think again; for it is spoken to the redeemed! *People in Moses day were as people are today; they spent their tome pointing fingers at the faults of others, while refusing to recognize their own problems. *Sin in the life of a believer can render you UNEFFECTIVE HERE and UNREWARDED THERE!

(1)-THE DISHONEST COUPLE

(ANNANIAS & SAPPHIRA)...... *Peter had fought opposition that came from the OUTSIDE of the church, and now he faces opposition form the INSIDE.....INSIDE OPPOSITION can do much more damage to a church! The problem in this story happened among believers; and occurred in the GIVING DEPT! It was also limited to just 2 members of the church!

The story goes that Barnabas made a large gift to the church, and Annanias & Sapphira decided to make a similar gift-but in appearance only!....most of what people do in church isn't recognized, however, these two church members viewed Banabas' sacrifice in terms of the attention and praise it received. THEY COVETED HIS PRAISE!

You have these kind of people in THIS CHURCH and in every church; people who do things to gain maximum publicity! They never can do things quietly; they must be noticed!

They were "dishonest" because they implied that they were giving ALL, when in truth they "KEPT BACK PART OF THE PRICE"!!! They had "HELD OUT ON GOD"....and Peter did not hesitate to call it a LIE!!!-(v.3)

People LIE more about their money than anything else! They LIE on their TAXES, they POOR MOUTH about how tough life is (boats, cars, motorcycles)...then they LIE about their TITHES!!! Hear me, "Its' better to be known in the church as a "sorry freeloader" than to go on LYING TO GOD about your giving!!!"-Their GREED COST THEIR LIVES!!!

*You see people like this in every church....they are the ones who don't give a dime, yet are the first to whine when a building is built, or a new missionary is taken on for support...they think that the pastor should be poor and barefooted to keep him and his family humbled, while they blow money like there's no tomorrow on themselves!!!

(2)-THE DETECTED COUPLE

Notice how the scriptures say "being privy to it"-(v.2). What were they thinking! If God knows, then the whole world can know if he chooses to tell them!!!

God gave Peter the power of DISERNMENT!-(People wonder if pastors KNOW what's going on.....OF COURSE!!!)

*A person who does not have spiritual discernment would smell a SKUNK in the church and call it PERFUME! They don't know the difference between PETER and ANNANIAS! They don't know the difference between: a slick talking apostate on TV, and the TRUE ministers of God! A person without discernment would "take sides" with a deceitful woman like Sapphira if the pastor called her a liar, and either request that the pastor leave....or get mad and leave the church themselves over it!-(WARPED PEOPLE!!!)

(3)-THE DISCIPLINED COUPLE

Church should be a happy place for God's people....but if you or someone else is stirring up trouble here, there should be fear and discipline!

*Notice that the couple came SEPARATELY to church with the gift; that way Annanias would be praised....then later, Sapphira would hear the praise again! They wished to PROLONG and REPEAT the thing to get more ATTENTION!!!-("my feelings are hurt", "I am sick-and never get better", "feel sorry for me", "I'm not coming back")

(1 Corin.1:29-"That no flesh should glory in his presence.")....* Are YOU getting all the ATTENTION at church? God should be the focus...not you!

*The latest thing to thwart true biblical discipline is the adoption of church constitutions. It's like tying the hands of a police officer, and renders a pastor almost helpless when trouble hits! *Truth is, in most churches it is easier to get rid of the pastor than it is a delinquent church member! Constitutions ought to make it difficult to become a church member, and also very easy to loose that membership! Membership is not a right; it is a privilege with responsibilities! And if you don't fulfill those responsibilities, then you should forfeit that privilege!!!!

*In today's churches, Sapphira would be allowed to lead the choir or teach sunday school. Annanias would be elected on the deacon board, and be allowed to count the money! I've seen it happen!.....A preacher can run of with a woman, and a year later be pastor of another church!!!--- If we dealt with sin in the church as Peter did, we would clear up a lot of the nagging and bellyaching that hinders God's work!

*Peter looked at sin as SIN no matter who committed it! These were rich church members...but they were treated like anyone else would! "you have not lied unto men, but unto God."-(v.4) ....and that is the way it is with ALL sin!!!

*When sin in the church doesn't aggravate the membership directly, then they get mad at the preacher if he takes action against the sinner! They tell the preacher that "he should be winning souls, and remember that people are not perfect"!!!

(4)-THE DEAD COUPLE!-(v.5-11)

THIS JUDGMENT WAS:

(a)-Sudden in its Coming

(b)-Severe in its Character

(c)-Shaming to the Couple

(d)-Shocking to the Community

Pastor Brian Eades