C.J. hit another one out of the park yesterday, if I can be so crass as to apply a baseball metaphor to a sermon. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the Holy Spirit was speaking to us in profound ways! Preaching from Acts 4:32-5:18 and 5:40-6:7, CJ helped us see how high expectations sometimes encounter the harsh reality of sin and trial. He made this clear in three points:

1. DECEPTION

Explaining the story of Ananias and Sapphira, CJ helped us see the warning in this passage: that we must not presume upon God’s mercy by continuing in sin that has not been confessed or forsaken.

“He is indeed long-suffering, patient, and slow to anger. In fact He is so slow to anger that when His anger does erupt we are shocked and offended by it. We forget rather quickly that God’s patience is designed to lead us to repentance, to give us time to be redeemed. Instead of taking advantage of this patience by coming humbly to Him for forgiveness, we use this grace as an opportunity to become more bold in our sin. We delude ourselves into thinking that either God doesn’t care about it or that he is powerless to punish us. The supreme folly is that we think we will get away with our revolt.” R.C. Sproul

Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was not unusual, but typical: we do the same thing every time we are tempted to impress others, to leave them with a false impression of ourselves, to make them think we are more spiritual than we really are. It is deception for the purpose of self-exaltation.

“We share Ananias’ sin not when others think we are more spiritual than we are, but when we try to make others think we are more spiritual than we are.” Kent Hughes

We need to ask ourselves: “Where am I tempted to try to impress others, or leave them with the impression that I am more spiritual than I actually am?” The solution is to confess to God and to others, so that this might not spread through the church and weaken the church.

2. PERSECUTION

CJ didn’t have much to say here. Actually, he had a lot to say, he just chose not to say it.

3. DISSENSION

An expanding church is constantly changing. CJ helped us see how the early church–and how our church–will need to change as it expands. Growth and change require sacrifice: things that are comfortable and familiar now may need to give way to make room for people who will be added as the gospel goes forth. The message won’t change, but the methodology will.

Furthermore, the history contained here us our history. This isn’t “just dirt.” (If you don’t get that, go listen to the message.) In the mystery of providence, we are dependent on the faithfulness of those recorded in Acts. Let us be inspired by their example: who out there is awaiting your communication of the gospel?

Categories: Monday Matters, five15 blog