Great Grace, Great Fear
Acts 4:32–5:11
SERMON • What happens when the God we sing about is actually present and demands true holiness within? Does he find you and me living out true faith in sincere love, or are we just playing games with him, going through the outward motions of “the Christian life” while our hearts are actually far from him? We’ll see from Acts 4:32–5:11 how the Holy Spirit produces generosity and exposes hypocrisy in the church. Come be encouraged, sobered, and invited to live with open hands before God and one another.
Introduction: Two Kinds of Church Stories
For the last few weeks, I have been thinking about two kinds of church stories.
The first kind makes us smile and maybe even shed a tear. A family in the church is in a hard season with medical bills, job loss, rent coming due, and the church or people in the church quietly step in and give a helping hand when it matters most. Meals show up. A check or gift card is given. Somebody fixes a car without fanfare. Needs get met not because anyone is trying to be impressive but because their love is real. That is an Acts chapter 4 kind of story.
Then there are stories that make us cringe and tense up. We have likely all seen it. We have most likely all done it. Ministry is used as a means of self-promotion rather than self-forgetful, sacrificial love. In this scenario, we may serve hypocritically, out of a thirst for human approval rather than out of love for God or one another. Needs may get met, but eventually God exposes and judges the sham. That is an Acts chapter 5 kind of story.
Our passage today, Acts 4:32–5:11, includes both kinds. We are stepping back once again into the earliest days of the Jerusalem church, right after the first real wave of opposition from without. Our text is full of wonderful, inspiring, encouraging events and hard truths—matters that strike close to home, close to our hearts. I am titling this message Great Grace, Great Fear, based on those two key phrases in Acts 4 and 5, respectively.
Today, we will not be able to dodge some uncomfortable themes. Here are some examples. How we steward our money and possessions. Sacrificial, financial generosity. Deep relational unity in the church. Real, tangible, and not fake accountability to one another. The theme of our hearts being laid bare before the eyes of God, despite how we may project ourselves to others. And the theme of God’s judgment on hypocrisy in the church. Lots of themes that make us squirm.
The driving question is this. What happens when the Holy Spirit we talk about, sing about, and preach about reveals that he is actually present and demands true holiness in our hearts? Does he find us living out true faith and sincere love, or are we just playing games with God, going through the outward motions of the Christian life while our hearts are far from him?
There are two parts to this sermon, based on our passage. The first is this.
The Spirit Produces Generosity in the Church 4:32–37
“32 Now 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. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.”
Explanation
Here, Luke gives us a snapshot of the very first church in Jerusalem, a church where the gospel was not just spoken but embodied. He says, The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul 4:32. This means that deep spiritual, theological, and relational unity was the culture of the congregation. The church was so much more than a crowd gathered in the same building. It was truly a family, a single organism in which every part labored joyfully for the good of the rest.
Luke mentions two pieces of evidence of this profound unity. He puts the first one negatively. “No one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own.” It is not that no one owned anything, but like a tight-knit, functional family, nobody thought or spoke in terms of mine and not yours. He puts the second piece of evidence positively. “They had everything in common.” That is, they took responsibility for each other. If one was hurting, the rest did not pretend it was not their concern.
And here is the key heart shift the Spirit was producing: the death of self-preoccupation, rugged individualism, possessiveness, and self-preservation. Their grip on their possessions had loosened because Christ had become their true treasure that could never be lost or taken from them. And the Spirit had changed their vocabulary from mine to God’s. He changed their aim from “protect at all costs” to “how can I serve God with what he has given me by serving his family?”
Deuteronomy 15:7–10 as a Key Backdrop
God had commanded Israel this:
“7 If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, The seventh year, the year of release is near, and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.”
Notice that God was not only making provision for those in need but also addressing the heart behind generosity. You shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother. He mentions the heart three times in those verses.
In the NT, 1 John 3:16–18 also borrows this language from Deuteronomy:
“16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
So, Acts 4 is not a unicorn characteristic of a unique group of people 2,000 years ago. The Christian church is the community of God’s people coming alive with new-covenant, inward transformation. What the law required in the OT, the Spirit now produces in the New: open hearts and open hands. That is why Acts 4 is so beautiful. Here is not begrudging generosity complying with some sort of church policy or religious peer pressure. These are redeemed people whose hearts are being expanded by God’s Spirit.
The Engine of Radical Generosity
Now, what was the engine driving such radical generosity? The power beneath the whole scene is Acts 4:33: God’s great grace. The apostles powerfully bore witness to the resurrection, and their message about the risen Christ was much more than a cold, orthodox creed. The truth of Christ’s resurrection and our future resurrection created a culture of resurrection that saw money and possessions as temporary stewardship rather than as a matter of status or security.
You see, if Jesus really is alive as he is, then death is defeated, our future is secure, and money is no longer the savior that measures our status or security. Fear loses leverage on our hearts, and our hands open. I will put it this way: Spirit-filled churches saturated with resurrection hope are freer with their resources because they are no longer enslaved to the anxiety of self-preservation or the misery of self-preoccupation. To paraphrase Jesus: They have learned that life is about more than money.
The result was stunning: There was not a needy person among them 4:34. In a day when personal capital was largely tied up in real estate and not in a bank account, if they did not have the cash on hand to meet a need, many sold something, laid the proceeds at the apostles feet, and distribution happened as any had need 4:35.
Five Ways Acts 4 Differs from Communism and Related Systems
Right now, you might be thinking this sounds more like Karl Marx than inspired Scripture. But here is how Acts 4 was radically different from economic collectivism, socialism, or communism.
Generosity was a personal decision, voluntary, not forced.
The believers gave because great grace had changed their hearts, not because an authority had imposed quotas or penalties.The right to private property was upheld.
Private property still existed. The passage assumes real ownership. Their possessions were theirs to sell. Their money was theirs to give or not give.The goal of giving was to meet real needs, not to redistribute wealth ideologically.
Luke emphasizes that distribution was for those who had need. Giving was targeted at the vulnerable, not at an ideology that seeks to flatten all economic distinctions.The church still upheld personal responsibility, not entitlement.
And this was not the same as a welfare state. 2 Thes 3:10 states: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” This was not free handouts for the lazy." 1 Tim 5:8 says: “If anyone does not provide for his own, he has denied the faith and is worse than a pagan.” The church’s generosity was not excusing a lack of personal financial responsibility.The motivation and scope were spiritual and covenantal, not political and coercive.
Their motivation was worship, faith, and love, not political ideology. Open-handedness flowed from resurrection faith and great grace, so the engine of their sacrificial giving was fervent devotion to their Lord. Finally, this all was in the context of the church, the covenant community. The church was not setting a political blueprint for society at large to be enforced by the government.
Barnabas as a Living Example
In vv. 36–37, Luke mentions Barnabas as a specific example. Barnabas was a real man with a real field, who made a real sacrifice. He sold a field and laid the money at the apostle’s feet. He embraced the fact that his faith was more than words. It actually cost him something. I wonder how often we think in those terms? I mean, isn't the name of the game to get as much as we can out of life and the church with as little investment as possible? Not for Barnabas.
Illustrations
I cannot help but think of a story from King David's life.
In 2 Samuel 24, after a plague had swept through Israel, David sought to build an altar to God. Araunah owned a plot of land and offered it and everything on it for free to the king, including his threshing floor, his oxen, and even wood for a sacrifice. But David refused the gift, and here is why.
2 Sam 24:24 records:
“But the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”
And beautifully, this plot of land later became the building site for Solomon’s Temple 2 Chron 3:1. That is no accident. God was well pleased with David’s heart.
I love hearing of an envelope showing up in the mail that covers someone’s rent in a tough season. Meal trains are routinely set up here when babies in our church are born, when people have major surgery, and on other occasions. My heart is warmed when church members offer childcare, transportation, or job-search help to a family in need. None of this is flashy, but all of it says, You belong, We love you, and You are not alone.
Applications
Now, if money and security are our functional Lord and Savior, we may have a knot in our stomach. This text hits us where we are most sensitive and most protective of our time and our money. Acts 4 strikes at the very heart of our individualistic assumptions, our self-focused desires, and our spending habits. But I believe the Spirit is working in us at this very moment.
How we spend our time and money reveals our true treasure. There is no way around it. If money is our master, our hands will clench toward need. Our excuses will pile up. But if Jesus is our Savior, our Lord, our true King, our hearts and our hands will open up.
My prayer this week has not been, Lord, increase my giving, but rather, Lord, increase my joy in you, my security in you, my love for you, my love for the family of God, my love for my lost neighbors, my surrender to your promptings. Lord, free me from my relentless pursuit of self-preservation. Deliver me from wasting my short life building a little kingdom that will soon wash away like a sandcastle at high tide. Make me an instrument in your hands for your glory and others’ good.
Some of you may be so financially stretched that you feel like you belong more in the beneficiary camp than the benefactor camp.
Let me urge you not to assume that tight finances or job loss or whatever exempts you from the Spirit’s call to a heart of radical generosity. No matter our health or situation, the gospel’s call for generous love applies to each of us. Period. Scripture never divides the church into permanent givers and permanent takers.
Maybe you truly have no money to give. But are you devoting yourself to prayer with and for others? Do you give the gift of presence, of encouragement, of service, of skills, of hospitality, of time, and attention?
Without overlooking all that many of you already do, what might Sacred Mission Church become if we are all becoming more attentive and generous to needs around us? What if we frequently ask, Who is drowning? Who is carrying a hidden strain? Where is the burden too heavy? And then move away from comfort and toward need with practical, wise, self-sacrificial care.
That is the first half of our text. But then we come to Acts 5, and we find that the Spirit Exposes Hypocrisy in the Church.
2. The Spirit Exposes Hypocrisy in the Church 5:1–11
Acts 5:1–6: 1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and 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 for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.”
Explanation
What a stark contrast this is to Barnabas at the end of chapter 4. Like Barnabas and others, Ananias and Sapphira had sold some land and given the money to the church. But secretly, they agreed to keep back part of the money while presenting the gift as if it were the whole amount.
Why? What would prompt them to do this? Why not be honest and say they were donating most or half or some of the proceeds? Peter acknowledges they could have done that. There was no rule against that. They could have kept it all. It was their money. Their hearts were seeking something evil through their generosity: credit, human praise, honor, esteem. Their sin was not in keeping some of the money, but in faking love and devotion. Ananias falls dead. Three hours later, Sapphira repeats the same deception and also falls dead in vv. 7–11. And the fear of God seizes the church and the city.
The message is obvious: the Spirit is real and present. He is holy. And he will not be mocked.
What is most sobering and terrifying to me, personally, is that they had evidently given a large enough sum of money to be believable. What generosity. But the Spirit was not impressed at all. In fact, he was so grieved by their lying hearts that he put them to death on the spot.
As I meditated on that this week, I could not help but confess to the Lord, “Far too many times, this has been me.” How often have I served, given, sacrificed out of a motivation less than love for Jesus and love for you? This is me. This is us!
Illustrations
We learn that doing apparently generous things does not make us holy. Going through the motions of religious acts does not ensure we are not playing Russian roulette with God.
Judas stayed close enough to Jesus for 3 years and looked genuine, but treachery churned in his heart.
Jesus called the most revered religious people of his day, the Pharisees, a den of vipers, “painted tombs” who were ornate on the outside but reeked with decay and the stench of death within Matt. 23:27.
Would the God we pray to, sing to, and teach our kids about really ever do such a thing as kill a person for their sin? Scripture tells us it was not the first time, and it was not the last.
Uzziah
We might think of biblical stories of God killing Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire, or Achan for stealing devoted things from Jericho, or Uzzah for irreverently touching the ark of the covenant, or striking King Uzziah with incurable leprosy.
2 Chronicles 26 tells us that King Uzziah was one of the most successful, beloved, and longest-reigning kings of Judah. But near the end of his reign, he grew callous toward the holiness of God. He entered the temple to burn incense on the altar, an act God had reserved for the consecrated priests alone. Azariah and some 80 other priests confronted him and said, “This is not your office; leave the sanctuary.” Mercifully, God did nothing at first. But instead of humbling himself and walking out, Uzziah became enraged. And while the rage was still on his face, the sores of leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of God. The Lord had struck him with an incurable disease. He had disobeyed by entering the sanctuary, but then he went one step too far.
Some of us may be puzzled by these stories of Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, Uzziah, and even Ananias and Sapphira. “I mean, we all make mistakes. What is the big deal?” I thought God was loving, merciful, and gracious.
Isaiah
This very question was on the lips of the young prophet, Isaiah. And God’s answer came in Isaiah 6, where Isaiah records a vision he received from God “in the very same year that king Uzziah died of leprosy.” Isaiah saw the Lord, “high and lifted up, his regal robe covered the floor of the temple of heaven.” Isaiah sees flaming angelic beings hovering over God’s throne, with two wings flying, two covering their feet in reverence, and two covering their eyes, too creaturely to look directly upon the blazing glory of God. And these mighty Seraphim were crying out continuously, so loudly that their voices shook the very doorposts of heaven’s temple. And they were crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of armies, the earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah falls to the ground and confesses that he is a sinful man with sinful lips and that Judah is a sinful people with sinful lips, lips that had questioned the severity of God’s judgment on King Uzziah.
They had questioned it because they had no concept of God’s glory and power and worth and majesty. In questioning God, as fools, they had brazenly gone where angels feared to tread.
I have been searching my own heart this week, asking, “When will it be one step too far for me? When will it be one step too far for you?” “But that is God in the Old Testament!” we may think. “Today, God overlooks hypocrisy and other sins!” Right? The story of Ananias and Sapphira should convince us otherwise.
Paul, likewise, in 1 Cor 11:27–32, says this of those who partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner:
“For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”
This is not at all to say that all sickness, disease, and death are somehow due to secret sin. We are all fallen people with fallen bodies, in a fallen world, and we will all die one way or another. But we would be grossly dishonest with Scripture if we said that God does not still strike people down today as he did Uzzah, Uzziah, Ananias, and Sapphira.
The coroner’s report may state the cause of death as “cardiac arrhythmia,” “cancer,” “pulmonary embolism,” or “motor vehicle crash.” But God knows if the secondary cause should say: “Habitual hypocrisy,” or “He played games with God,” or “she went one step too far.”
We know we are reading the story of Ananias and Sapphira rightly if it produces in us the same response it produced in those in Acts 4: a renewed holy fear of God.
Acts 5:5: “When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.”
Acts 5:11: “and they carried Sapphira out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”
If you are struggling with this, as I have, I humbly implore you to look at the cross. At Calvary, every illusion of our guiltlessness died, and all our sin was exposed in the naked, bleeding body of our sin-bearing Savior.
How seriously does God take hypocrisy, relational grudges, the love of money, and the love of human praise?
Let us not focus mainly on Ananias and Sapphira dying, or Uzzah collapsing, or King Uzziah’s flesh rotting. Let us look at God’s Son falsely accused, mocked, beaten, scourged, jeered, impaled to a cross of wood, and left to die.
The cross is not God relaxing His holiness. It is God revealing it in full. Judgment was not canceled. It was carried. Divine wrath was not denied. It was absorbed. And the One who bore it was Jesus, the spotless Lamb, pierced for hypocrites, pretenders, the greedy, and even begrudging, generous givers.
Faith in Jesus is not simply citing church creeds. It is falling at the foot of the cross. It is coming clean with God and one another. It is trading pretense for a pure heart. It is the surrender of everything we are and have to the Lordship of Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and risen, not only to forgive but to produce a people who live honestly, sincerely, and with joyful generosity, as Jesus did and does for all who repent and believe in him.
It is at the foot of the cross where we stop playing games with God and live by great grace and great fear. And it is there that I invite you to join me. ❖
