Acts 5:11
The Agreed Resolve The Sermon Continued Acts 5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:4) 15| A Fearing Church| Acts 5:11 “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (Acts 5:11). The Greek word “ekklesia” is translated “church” in our passage. “Ekklesia” is in the feminine gender, which highlights the abstract, mysterious nature of its existence. The believer’s merger with Jesus is beyond comprehension, and the congregation of those believers is equally beyond knowing. The fact that we do not know everything does not mean we cannot know some things. The early Christian did not conceive of “ekklesia” primarily as an organization but as a theological entity. It was not a 501C3 registered with the Secretary of State receiving tax breaks. To be the church did not require a board, scheduled meetings, or a building. “Ekklesia” appears only three times in the Gospel accounts, all in Matthew (Matthew 16:18, 18:17), reminding us of a positive development of its use. All three times, “ekklesia” comes from the lips of Jesus! The content and context in which Jesus uses this word in His teachings are essential. Jesus considered Himself and His mission at the core of the church’s existence. He said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus lived the last six months of His ministry with the disciples, moving His ministry focus from the “crowds” to the “disciples.” He needed to prepare His disciples for what was coming. He removed his group from Palestine into Gentile territory, quizzing them about what they believed about Him. Peter responded with a bold statement declaring Jesus’ Messiahship (Matthew 16:16), and in that context, Jesus called Peter the rock upon which He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). Jesus declared He was the Christ with a mission. He said He would build “ekklesia” His church, and nothing could stand in the way. However, the difficulty was the method of the building process. He would do it through “bleeding, suffering, and dying,” the cross (Matthew 16:21). Jesus gave them the first of three predictions about His death and resurrection. Jesus established the “ekklesia” of the church, and it exists in the context of the cross. Jesus called the disciples to embrace the style of the cross in their lives. The cross is the pattern of the church. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). The disciples argued with Jesus for at least six days about this style. After the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), training about John the Baptist (Matthew 17:9-13), and the inability to minister to a father and son (Matthew 17:14-22), the disciples involve Jesus in their argument over who is the greatest. They wanted Jesus to choose one of them for this position (Matthew 18:1). They did not comprehend or embrace the cross style, losing one’s life. Jesus patiently appealed to the disciples again. He told them the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14), which focuses on the Father’s heart! The Father is the Good Shepherd who cannot tolerate losing a single sheep, but through “bleeding, suffering, and dying, gives Himself to rescue that sheep. Then Jesus moved from teaching in parable form to practical life application (Matthew 18:15-20). As a person of the “ekklesia,” we must go after the one who has strayed. We must link with one or two others to “bleed, suffer, and die,” to win him back. “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church (ekklesia). “But if he refuses even to hear the church (ekklesia), let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17). The “ekklesia” must pour their lives out for the lost sheep. If he does not respond, he becomes like a heathen and tax collector, which means we double our efforts in “bleeding, suffering, and dying.” Jesus did not come for those who are righteous but for sinners (Matthew 9:13). Then Jesus paints a picture of the “ekklesia” (Matthew 18:18-20). This redemptive group represents on earth, all that is in heaven. As they link together on earth in oneness and reach into the unseen heavenly realm, a flow from heaven to earth happens. Jesus calls it a “symphony” of agreement and unity. When this happens, the face of God, His presence, appears! It is the “ekklesia,” the church! Now, for the first time in the Book of Acts, “ekklesia” appears (Acts 5:11). Although this is the first time Luke uses the word, he has described the early Church as the “ekklesia.” They united in prayer and experienced heaven shaking the place where they assembled (Acts 4:31). God filled them with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God in boldness. The presence of Jesus was felt throughout Jerusalem as they witnessed His resurrected presence. They poured their lives out for each other by having all things in common. “Neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own” (Acts 4:32). Amid this symphonic unity between God and the early Church, Ananias and Sapphira broke the style of the cross by selfish living. They created disunity in the unity; in completeness, they fostered partiality; in truthfulness, they proposed dishonesty and hypocrisy. At the heart of selflessness, they projected selfishness. They tried to destroy the church!! Relationship The heart of the church (ekklesia) is the relationship. That is true now, but it was especially true in our passage when there were no church buildings. No one ever confused the involvement of a group of believers with a building. Therefore, the church is always a community, a group of connected believers, both the universal view and local presence. The community of believers and local gatherings across the world are appropriately called the church. Both are equally legitimate forms of the “ekklesia” created by God. In secular Greek, “ekklesia” designated citizen assemblies. Paul used it twice to describe the people of Ephesus who gathered against Him. The Spirit of God was moving among the people, and the silversmiths who made the shrines of Diana caused a riot (Acts 19:32, 39). However, “ekklesia” took on its theological meaning as used consistently in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). The Hebrew word “qahal,” translated “ekklesia,” describes the assembly or congregation of God’s people (Deuteronomy 9:10). Luke used descriptive phrases about the gathering of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. He referred to believers (Acts 2:44; 4:32), their number (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14), and their companions (Acts 4:23). In the early days of the Christian church, the believers called their meeting places “the synagogue” (James 2:2). But as the division between the Jews and Christians became permanent, the Jews went to their synagogues and the Christians to their churches (ekklesia). The Christians used this word to describe their corporate identity, claiming to be the true people of God, believing they were the rightful heirs of all God promised in salvation. The “ekklesia” became the new Israel (Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 6:16; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). The expression “ekklesia” conveyed the meaning that Christians, rather than Jews, were the true people of God! The phrase, “the church of God,” begins to appear (1Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1, and Galatians 1:13). The phrase “of God” is not added to “ekklesia” to give content to the word, but it becomes a fixed formula and is an integral part of the church (ekklesia). “Of God” is a declaration of relationship. Therefore, the description of the “ekklesia” as the body of Christ is profound. “For as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:4-5). In light of this unity, the sin of Ananias and Sapphira became monumental. What may appear to be an indiscretion concerning proper procedure became cancer in the body. Satan was involved in attacking the “ekklesia,” the body of Christ. The oneness that caused the church to have all things in common, Satan wanted to destroy. Our passage contains the first time the word “ekklesia” appears in the Book of Acts (Acts 5:11), denoting the people of God gathered in a spiritual community. The church can only thrive as the people of God if it lives in the trust of all its members. The church thrives in the Spirit’s power, with the unity of trust and the oneness of heart and mind. The members of the body must be complete, surrendered, and abandoned to Jesus. Anything less than this creates death and destruction in the function of the body. The abandonment is to Jesus, not each other because without Him, we become a cult. Int the passage (Acts 5:1-11), there is no message about how they hurt the body of Christ or hindered the mission of the church. The issue is how they lied to God. In violating their relationship with Jesus, they broke their relationship with the “ekklesia.” Only in total abandonment to Jesus do we know the heart of God; in knowing the heart of God, we become the people of God, the body of Christ, the church! If I have difficulty with my fellow man, maybe I have not embraced God’s heart. How does God feel about Him? Am I not an extension of His hands, voice, and love? Reverence “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (Acts 5:11). Luke records a similar statement at the death of Ananias (Acts 5:5). In a previous study, we discovered the Greek word “phobos,” translated “fear.” “Phobos” is the root word for “phobia” in English. In the Greek, its meaning ranges from terror to awe. The use of “phobos” is determined by the context. Although Luke mentions the church first, the news of Ananias and Sapphira’s deaths must have spread throughout Jerusalem. The populous of Jerusalem held the early Church in awe and respect. The awe and reverence toward God increased (if possible) within the church. The early Church experienced the threat of persecution and yet bound together in prayer and commitment to truth. “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Did not the filling of the Holy Spirit produce profound awesomeness (fear)? God did many signs and wonders through the apostles (Acts 5:12). Would this not have resulted in wonder at the greatness of God? We might think that the early Church had already reached the highest level of awe and reverence. There is a definite indication that something new or deeper occurred through the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Luke includes this information twice in the story (Acts 5:5, 11). The awe and reverence the early Church experienced within the presence of God were great. But now, an additional fact is added to their reality. They become aware of the danger of being outside God’s presence! It is thrilling to be in the boundaries of His presence. In His presence, we sense the awe of His protection, guidance, and mission. Security floods our lives, even when threatened. Awe and reverence increase as the Spirit of Jesus manifests His grace through our lives. But Ananias and Sapphira stepped out of that protection and immediately encountered the full consequences of their decision. What do we do when left to our own resources? How do we feel when there is no answer in our abilities and reason? Outside the presence of Jesus, we are on our own! Another image of “ekklesia” in the Scriptures is the “Bride of Christ.” Paul used the imagery of the “Bride of Christ” when teaching about marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). Think of the safety and security in such a relationship! Now Ananias and Sapphira have severed that relationship. They virtually divorced themselves from their Husband (Jesus). They decided to provide for themselves, keeping back part of the price of their land. They entered into an illicit affair with Satan, and in hypocrisy, continued to claim Jesus as their husband. The explosion of their decision was catastrophic! They destroyed everything; there was no safety outside God’s presence; no one survives without Him! Suddenly the early Church became aware of the danger. Revolution What happened in the lives of Ananias and Sapphira affected their community. The early Church experienced a new awareness of completeness in Christ. They not only needed Jesus, but He required all of them. The Spirit of Jesus gave Himself completely; they needed to give themselves entirely to Him. Again, the severity of the issue was thrust upon them by the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. However, this also happened to “all who heard these things.” Luke gives insight into some of the results in the next paragraph. The early Church was together on Solomon’s Porch, the same place the leaders of Israel interrupted Peter’s sermon to a large gathering. God had healed the lame beggar, which attracted many. The leaders of Israel had Peter and John arrested and put in jail, and the next day threatened them to never speak in the name of Jesus again. Now the early Church was in one accord in the same location. Luke wrote that “none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly” (Acts 5:13). No one had come to this gathering to spectate or for entertainment. Everyone who was not in one accord with the believers was afraid to participate. They all understood the possessive nature of the fulness of the Spirit. You would think that such a message and understanding would eliminate evangelism. Who wants to surrender to Jesus? Who wants to join a group of radical people in a commitment to Christ? But the next verse says, “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). Should this not shape our approach to evangelism? We are often not confrontational in our approach to evangelism. We want to be “seeker-sensitive.” We fear the confrontational approach of our message might offend. Peter did not share that view as he confronted Ananias and Sapphira. If we can only embrace the Gospel wholeheartedly, what do we gain in suggesting a lesser commitment? If Christianity requires complete surrender, what is the advantage of filling the church with those who are not Christians? Perhaps our world is desperately searching for something or someone significant enough to command their total attention. Jesus is worthy of the full allegiance of all my time, energy, and life experience. Anything less than this is to demean and belittle all He is in redeeming the world. Reducing the value of Christ’s sacrificial death makes Christianity a joke among the religions of the world. As narrow as it might seem, without embarrassment, Peter proposed, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Does this not challenge us to a full, absolute, and complete surrender to Jesus? Ananias and Sapphira proved it by their experience. The early Church embraced it as the reality of involvement with Jesus. The world around them understood the requirement and consequences of this challenge. Salvation through Jesus is still true today!