Acts 5:1

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the price. His wife was also privy to it, and they brought a certain part 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 part of the price of the land? While it remained with you, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own power? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but unto God."

And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost. Great fear came upon all them that heard these things.

Let's pray. Father, I do ask that you would open our hearts and our minds, giving us understanding as we consider this passage of Scripture this morning. Lord, as we reflect on the exhortation of Your Word, I pray that You would continue to transform us by the renewing of our minds. Lord, that we would not be conformed to this world, but be renewed today in Christ. For we ask it in Jesus' name, and all God's people said, "Amen." You can be seated.

Responsibility, accountability, and transparency. If you've paid attention to the news recently, you know that those are the words of the week. With the $787 billion reinvestment act signed this last Tuesday by President Obama, our government is promoting unprecedented responsibility in the allocation and spending of these taxpayer funds. They apparently recognize that it is a necessity to be responsible with other people's money. And that's a good thing, isn't it? We're all very hopeful that they continue to be responsible and accountable in this manner.

Those are the three words that have been used quite a bit this week: responsibility, accountability, and transparency. I find it interesting how well they correlate with the passage that we're looking at here this morning. You'll remember that last week, at the end of Acts chapter 4, we considered how the body of Christ here in...

The early church in the first century lived in a very interesting manner, something that is somewhat foreign to us here in America. They lived with great community and unity, sharing with one another. Whoever had things shared with those who didn't have anything. They had all things in common, as it says in Acts 4, verse 32. No one claimed that the things he possessed were his own. They recognized this great truth.

We considered this a little bit last week when we looked at several different passages in the Scripture that reveal God's ownership of everything we have and all that we are. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. As believers in Christ, we have been bought with a price. He has redeemed us from the death and sin of the world. Therefore, everything we have and everything we are belongs to God. Being the case, we are also responsible and accountable. We will be held to account one day for all that has been committed to us.

In the same way that our government seeks to be transparent, accountable, and responsible, we will also be transparent before the Lord one day when we give an account. If you would, turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 4, several books to the right of the book of Acts.

In Hebrews chapter 4, the author says in verse 13, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Another translation states, "Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes." This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.

For most of you, I don't believe this is a problematic passage in the Scriptures. When we read that there is coming a day when you and I will give a reckoning, we will give an account before God. We will stand before Him and must explain all that we have done. We will account for how we have used the things He has given us—our energy, our intellect, our assets, our time—whatever it may be. There is coming a day when we will give an account before God.

For most of you, and if not all of you, this is not a problematic passage. However, we come to an interesting portion of Scripture as we look at Acts chapter 5 today. It gives us some intriguing insight into how God squares His books and how He deals with things.

At the end of Acts chapter 4 last week, we saw that there was a man within the body of Christ named Barnabas. His name meant "son of encouragement." He sold a portion of land, and in verse 37 of Acts chapter 4, it says he brought all the money from that land and laid it at the apostles' feet for distribution among those who didn't have much. It appears that Barnabas was somewhat wealthy; he had a portion of land that he was not using, and he was able to sell it. He took the proceeds to give to the body of Christ, to the church, so that it could be distributed among those in need.

There is no doubt that the gift Barnabas brought earned him a level of respect from the body of Christ. People within the community looked at Barnabas and acknowledged that it was a phenomenal gift. They knew about what had taken place. As we come to Acts chapter 5, it seems that a man named Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, took careful note of the respect Barnabas had received. They, too, took a portion of land, sold a possession, and gave part of the price. His wife was aware of what was going on, but they only gave a portion of the price and brought it, setting it at the apostles' feet, exactly as Barnabas had done.

I have no doubt that when Barnabas brought this money, he expected to receive commendation from the Lord, from the church, and from Peter. Instead, as we see in Acts chapter 5, as soon as Ananias had done this, Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" At that moment, I think Ananias's heart sank with a huge thud when he heard Peter's words. Peter continued, "Why have you kept back a portion, or a part, of what you have given?"

Now, there was no sin in keeping back a portion of what he had sold and only giving a part to the Lord and to the church. In fact, in the Old Testament, God revealed that He only really required a portion to be given. In the law, in Deuteronomy 26, if you want to turn there, the fifth book of the Bible, we read in verse 1...

And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance and a possession, and you possess it and dwell therein, that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God gives you. You shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God shall choose to place His name there.

You shall go to the priest who shall be in those days and say to him, "I profess this day unto the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore unto our fathers to give to us." The priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of your God.

You shall speak and say before the Lord your God, "A Syrian ready to perish was my father. He went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a great nation, mighty and prosperous. The Egyptians evilly entreated us, afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. When we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction, our labor, and our oppression. The Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, great terribleness, and with signs and wonders. He has brought us unto this place and has given us this land, even a land that flows with milk and honey.

Now behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which You, O Lord, have given me. You shall set it before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God.

In Deuteronomy chapter 26, we find that the children of Israel were to give a portion. They were to take from all of their abundance and bring in the first fruits of the land. They were primarily a farming culture and did not deal much in a monetary system as we do today. Therefore, they were to take their first fruits and bring them to the Lord.

There are two things we find in this passage in Deuteronomy 26, verses 1 through 10. The first is that their giving of the first fruits was in recognition of God's redemption and His ownership of all. Just as we looked at last week in Acts chapter 4, when they brought these things to God, they recognized that God was the one who saved them out of bondage. It was God who brought them out of Egypt and into this land. It was God who gave them this land and all that they had in it.

Bringing these offerings to the Lord, they were recognizing that God had redeemed them and that He, in fact, owned everything. However, He only called for them to bring a portion; specifically, He called for them to bring the first fruits.

Secondly, we see in this passage that their bringing of these first fruits was worship unto the Lord. It was counted as worship to God, and so it was in recognition of God's redemption and ownership of everything.

A few books before Deuteronomy, in Leviticus chapter 27, we read of another principle that the Jews lived under during the time of the Old Testament: the principle of the tithe. Leviticus chapter 27, verse 30 states, "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, it is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord." God says the tithe is the Lord's. A tithe means a tenth or a tenth part. Therefore, God says that all of this land He is giving to them, a tenth part of it is the Lord's. It is holy and consecrated unto Him.

God required His people in Old Testament times to bring in the first fruits and dedicate them unto the Lord. He required them to bring a tenth part and set it aside as unto the Lord. This tenth part was given as worship and as recognition that God is the one who redeemed them and that they were, in fact, God's possession. Everything they had ultimately belonged to God. Yet, God said, "I require that you bring in a tenth part and give it to Me."

Now, I want you to recognize that God's requirement was not because He is poor. Such giving requires and reveals our faith in Him. This kind of giving shows that we truly do trust Him. Furthermore, it causes us to look to Him instead of our things, our wealth, our riches, or our ability. When we take these things and lay them before the Lord, giving them to God, we are recognizing that He is God.

God has given us everything that we have. We are revealing our trust in Him, recognizing that we would have nothing apart from Him. We also acknowledge that He is over all the things that we possess. We do not look to our goods, but we look to our God. Amen?

God's requirement for us is not because He is poor. In fact, giving is not God's way of raising money; it is His way of raising children. Why? Our God, our Father in heaven, is the greatest giver there ever was and ever will be. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has given us every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.

Even more than these blessings that we experience here and now on earth, and the blessings we will receive in eternity, He spared not His only begotten Son. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. You see, our God is the greatest giver ever. When He calls us to be giving as well, it is His way of raising children, not money. He is not poor.

The Scriptures say that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, which I assume is a lot. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Although man digs for and seeks after gold, silver, precious stones, and various other things, it is God who created those things, and to Him, those things are nothing. He does not really regard silver and gold, although He knows we do, and that is why the Scriptures have a lot to say about wealth and how it is used.

I mentioned last week that God understands our focus as humans is often on wealth. Our attention is frequently fixated on material possessions. As a result, God speaks about it quite a bit in the Scriptures. There are over 2,100 verses in the Bible that deal with money, wealth, giving, and how we are to use the things that God has given to us.

We saw last week the gracious gift that Barnabas gave to the church. He gave from his abundance, offering what he had and giving it to the fullest. He did this not to receive any notoriety or to make a name for himself, but merely because the Spirit of God had stirred him to do so.

It wasn't a requirement that was placed. The church was not saying, "Hey, if you have extra land, you better sell it and give the money to the church." The church was not saying that, nor should they ever. Giving should never be by compulsion. You should never be compelled or made to give unto the Lord. In fact, if you ever feel that you've been made to give to this church or the ministries of this church, please come talk with me or the other pastors. We'd love to give it back to you. Because the Lord loves a cheerful giver, and He desires that we would give out of our love for Him, having seen that He has loved us so greatly that we give to Him a portion back.

But here in chapter 5, we read of a different story. We read of a man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira, who did very much the same act that Barnabas did, but it was done in a different way. Peter said to Ananias, "Why has Satan filled your heart," in verse 3, "to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? Now, while it remained, was it not your own?" This was your land, Ananias. And when you sold it, the money was your own as well. You could do with it however you please, and God would not have been upset with that. He would not have been worried or angry about that.

It reveals to us that God is not upset with you if you have great possessions this morning. But He does look at the heart. The Bible says in Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 9, that the heart of man is deceitful and wicked, desperately wicked. Who can know it? But the very next verse, verse 10, says that God searches the heart. God knows the depth of the depravity of my heart and your heart. He knows exactly what you're thinking right now. That's a scary thought for some.

When we give, and not just of our money, but when we give of our time and service or whatever it may be, God is watching my heart and yours. He knows exactly what is going through our hearts and why we're doing it. Barnabas, it appears, when he gave to the Lord, was giving from a heart of love. But Ananias, when he gave to the Lord, was giving from a greedy and proud heart. He gave for the purpose of being seen and for the purpose of receiving notoriety and respect. He was giving so that people would look up to him and consider him to be the spiritual elite. And with his wife, he did so.

Why have you conceived to do this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but unto God. One might wonder what was going through Ananias' mind when he gave this, and when Peter said, "Hey, Ananias, stand up. I want to talk to you." Ananias must have thought, "Oh, yes, Peter. Why has Satan filled your heart?"

One of the gifts of the Spirit described in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 is the word of knowledge. In 1 Corinthians 12, verse 8, Paul reveals that one of the gifts of the Spirit is the word of knowledge. Additionally, verse 10 of 1 Corinthians 12 reveals that there is also the discerning of spirits. Those who are filled with the Spirit have received of the Spirit. God gives gifts as He wills. The gift exercised here is either the discerning of spirits or the word of knowledge, or the two in concert together. Peter receives a word of knowledge from the Lord and discerns that this was not done in a right manner. He essentially calls Ananias out on the carpet.

In another passage of Scripture, Peter was also called out on the carpet. In Matthew chapter 16, you may remember that he withstood Jesus to His face, saying, "Far be it from you that you're going to go to Jerusalem and die." Jesus responded, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Peter has been on the receiving end of this before. Led by the Spirit of God, he asks Ananias, "Why has the Holy Spirit stirred your heart? Why has Satan stirred your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" Ananias' heart probably sank greatly. He desired status and came there with a greedy intention. He was giving so that he could get something.

This was the same kind of giving that we read about in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus speaks about the Pharisees. In Matthew chapter 6, the Pharisees would give their alms and give to the poor to be seen by men. Jesus said, "They have their reward." Their reward was only earthly, and they would not receive a reward from God. They received their reward in the respect or awe of men. Ananias, when he brought this money to the Lord and to the church, did so for the purpose of what he could get.

What he could get in the respect of other people was filled with pride and greed. The word "to keep back" in this verse, when he kept back some of the money, means to misappropriate. It is the very same word used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in the book of Joshua, specifically chapter 7, when we read about Achan.

The children of Israel and Joshua first battled against the city of Jericho after they entered the Promised Land. That first city was to be the first fruits unto the Lord. Everything they took from that city in the spoil after destroying it was to be given to God as the first fruits. None of it was to be taken or touched by the people. However, Achan kept back a portion that was there. He essentially robbed from God by taking what was not his. When he did this, judgment fell upon him and his whole household. It is a pretty heavy situation if you've read through Joshua before.

The only other place in the New Testament where this word "to keep back" or "to misappropriate" is used in the Greek is in Titus chapter 2, and it is used in the context of stealing. Essentially, Ananias stole from God by misusing what was given to him. The land, although it was under his ownership or management, was ultimately God's land. It was God's possession.

Now, was God calling him to sell the land and give the money to the church? I don't know; the Bible doesn't say. But he and his wife decided to sell this portion of land and give it to the church. They also decided to keep a little bit back, which was perfectly fine to do. However, they should have made that known to the church, stating that they were giving this portion to the church. Instead, they made it look like they were giving everything to the church. They lied to God instead of lying to men, and ultimately, they stole from God.

Proverbs chapter 15, verse 8, says, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord." That's pretty heavy when you consider that many people in the world today are trying to give sacrifices in the form of good works or even large sums of money to try to earn something with God, yet they have never turned to Christ and been regenerated by Him.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. They may stand before God someday and say, "Look at all the wealth that I gave. Look at all the good things that I did and that I said." However, the prophet Isaiah reveals to us in Isaiah chapter 64, verse 6, that all of our good works, all of our righteous works, are as filthy rags before God. It's not enough because it comes from a wicked heart. Therefore, good works done from a wicked heart are an abomination to God.

In Acts chapter 5, verse 5, it says, "And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down dead and gave up the ghost." Physically, he very likely had a heart attack. They didn't have a wonderful AED machine in the back of the room to bring him back to life, nor did they have firefighters to tend to him. He fell down dead when he heard this.

I want you to notice that the church and Peter did not render a death sentence to him. All they did was expose his sin, and when his sin was exposed, he then died. The Bible does not say that God killed him; he died as his sin was exposed. He fell down dead, gave up the ghost, and great fear came upon all those who heard them. That is the understatement of the New Testament. Great fear came upon all those who heard. The young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out to bury him. They buried him that day, which is, of course, consistent with Middle Eastern culture, as they bury an individual on the day of their death.

Greed and hypocrisy bring death and invite God's judgment. The Bible very clearly reveals that greed and hypocrisy bring death and invite God's judgment. God is far more interested in the heart than He is in the gift. In 1 Samuel, the first king of the children of Israel, King Saul, was told to go and destroy a wicked group of people and that they were not to keep back any of the things from that land. They were to sacrifice it all as unto the Lord and were not to keep any of it. However, King Saul kept portions of it back and feigned worship, trying to make it look like it was a worshipful thing. Samuel came to him in 1 Samuel 15, verse 22, and asked this great question.

Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and in sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. King David understood this. He learned it in Psalm 51. He says, "God, you do not desire sacrifice or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and a contrite heart. Oh, God, these you will not despise." God is more interested in the heart than he is in the gift. In fact, when our heart is wicked, our gift is wicked.

The children of Israel in Isaiah chapter 1 faced a similar issue. God spoke to them, and their worship had become sinful. He says to them in Isaiah 1, verse 11, "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?" says the Lord. "I am full of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts. I delight not in the blood of bulls and of lambs or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required this of you at your hand? Who has required of you to tread my courts? Bring no more your vain oblations. Your incense is an abomination unto me. The new moons, the Sabbath, the calling of assemblies, I cannot. Away with it. It is iniquity in the solemn meeting. Your new moons, your appointed feasts, my soul hates. They are a trouble unto me, and I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. When you make many prayers, I will not hear. Why? Because your hands are full of blood."

In another place in the book of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah tells the children of Israel that they worship God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. Their sin has separated them from their God. Ananias, although he performed a worshipful act, was wicked to God because it came from a heart of greed, hypocrisy, and pride. It was the kind of giving that the Pharisees were so apt to give, and it was not the kind of giving that God desired to have in His church. He very clearly revealed that with a swift judgment. Again, the church was not the one who passed the death sentence upon them; Peter just exposed the sin. When Ananias's sin was exposed, we see that he fell down dead.

For many Christians who are in compromise, their greatest fear is not sinning; their greatest fear is being found out. On this day, this man was found out as his sin was exposed. In verse 7 of Acts chapter 5, it says, "And it was about the space of three hours later when his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in." Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." She replied, "Yes, for so much." Peter then said to her, "Man, that's church discipline." Immediately, she fell down at his feet and yielded up the ghost. The young men came in, found her dead, and carried her forth to bury her by her husband.

This is a heavy passage, isn't it? For some of us, we might be saying, "Thank God He doesn't do this today." However, I want you to recognize that greed and hypocrisy are still judged by God and still bring about death in the individual believer today. A person with a greedy and pride-filled heart, someone who is a hypocrite—one thing at church and another at work or with their family—experiences a spiritual death. This also brings about a death in the body of Christ. Paul reveals that a little leaven leavens the whole lump; a little bit of yeast will cause the entire lump to be impure.

When there is greed, hypocrisy, and pride in the hearts of individuals within the body of Christ, it may seem like it does not affect others, but it does so on a very spiritual level. It brings about a death in the body of Christ and a spiritual death in that individual. It also affects entire families. Notice that the sin of this man, Ananias, had an effect on his wife, just as the sin of Achan had an effect on his entire family. Proverbs 15, verse 27, says, "He that is greedy of gain troubles his whole house."

Now, of course, the question often comes...

Were Ananias and Sapphira saved? Well, we certainly don't know. The Bible doesn't make any clear proclamation on that point. There is a very interesting verse in 1 John chapter 5 that reveals there is a sin that leads unto death. It appears that on this day, this sin was a sin that led unto death. As Ananias stood before Peter, he asked, "Why has Satan stirred in your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" When Ananias heard these things, he fell down dead, and the same went for his wife, Sapphira, as well.

You see, God desired that His church would be a pure and holy church, consecrated and separated unto Him, not defiled by the hypocrisy of this world. Even though it was filled with hypocrites, it was not to be defiled by the hypocrisy of the world. There are many in the world today who say, "Oh, the church is just full of a bunch of hypocrites." They are absolutely right. Every single one of us is a sinner saved by grace. We thank God that He has forgiven us by His grace, that He has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west. He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we would receive righteousness from God.

Although we were formerly hypocrites and formerly lost, God has saved us. Now that He has saved us, He has called us to live in a different fashion, in a different manner. These things are not to be a part of the church. God has called us to give, not because He is poor or trying to get something, but because He is training us for righteousness.

When the entire world is so focused on everything they can get, there are many people, especially with the signing of this stimulus package last week, who have their hands out, trying to find a way to get something. Our mindset as humans, especially as Americans, is so centered around "What can I get?" Whereas in Christ, the mindset is, "How can I give what the Lord has given me?" "Freely you have received, freely give," is the exhortation of Mark chapter 10. This is so contrary to my flesh and to yours as well. But that's the point.

You see, God does not desire that we hang on to this flesh. He has called us to very clearly and literally die daily. We need to put our own desires and our own tendencies aside.

To the side, we may lay hold of that which God has called us to. In verse 11 of Acts chapter 5, we find another great understatement: great fear came upon all the church and upon as many as heard these things. By the hands of the apostles, great signs and wonders were wrought among the people. When the greed was corrected, the growth continued. When the greed in the body of Christ was corrected, the growth continued, and God's work went forward.

By the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were performed among the people. God was moving in miraculous ways among the body of Christ as He purged this portion of sin, this little bit of leaven from His church. It says something very interesting in verse 12: they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch, and of the rest, no man joined himself unto them. But the people magnified them.

Even those who were outside of the body of Christ heard about what had happened. There was a fear, a reverence that came upon unbelievers based on the holiness they saw in the church. That is a powerful statement. Among the unbelievers, those who were not a part of the church were in awe of the holiness that took place within the body of Christ.

This holiness was not something they manufactured; it was not something they made up. It was something that God did. Holiness is always an action of God. He is the one who makes things holy. However, there was no man who wanted to join themselves to them because they looked at what had happened and were amazed.

Yet, in verse 14, it states that believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes, both of men and women. Notice that it says there were many multitudes added to the Lord, not to the church. There were those who became disciples and followers of the Lord as a result of this work that took place when God, in a miraculous way, purged a sinful individual from the church.

In one sense, you could very literally call this blessed subtraction. Although it was a very fearful thing and a very reverential thing, it is probably a good thing that God does not seem to be working in this way any longer, because how many of us...

Would we have died long ago? When there is hypocrisy in my life, or when there is greed, pride, or any other sin in my heart, regarding iniquity will cause a certain level of death to take place—a spiritual death. Death is merely separation. Physical death is the separation of your soul from your body. However, there is a certain level of spiritual death, which is the separation of you from God, resulting in a lack of fellowship with God and with the body of Christ when we regard sin in our hearts.

God desires to deal with this and to rid us of all these things that we so quickly gravitate towards in our flesh—the sins that so easily ensnare us. The author of Hebrews said in Hebrews chapter 12 that we should lay aside every weight and sin that does so easily ensnare us, so that we may run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Now, all of you know that there is a great race going on here in Escondido today—the final leg of a very long cycling race, 98.6 miles that they will be riding today. Lance Armstrong is in sixth place, and there is a possibility that he might be able to pull ahead and win. They will end right at Grand Avenue and Broadway later this afternoon.

In considering this race, we all know very well that Lance this morning would not put on a 15-pound weight belt or wear a nice backpack full of all kinds of stuff as he rides his bike. No, they will strip down to the bare essentials and try to go as fast as possible to move forward toward a temporal prize. What might he receive? Maybe he will receive some money, more notoriety, or a goofy trophy. Perhaps they will even talk about him a little more on TV, and he will have some interviews on Good Morning America this week. Who knows? I don't know. But it is a temporal crown.

We run not for a temporal crown; we are running for the crown of righteousness, which the Lord of righteousness shall give to those who run the race with endurance until the end. Yet, we are so often tripped up by the things of this world, and the Lord says to lay those things aside. When we lay those things aside, we find a life and a vitality.

In Christ, we experience a depth of holiness that we have never encountered before. Look at verse 15 of Acts chapter 5: "In so much that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them." Multitudes came from all the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and those who were vexed with unclean spirits, and they were healed, everyone.

When God moved in His church in this way to bring about holiness, which is not manufactured by individuals but by God, that holiness within the church resulted in an effectiveness in ministry that the church had not seen up to that point. We want to be an effective church—not just Calvary Chapel of Escondido, but the church at large, the body of Christ here in Escondido and the surrounding areas in Southern California. We desire to be an effective church.

Paul exhorts individual believers to test ourselves to see that we are in the faith and to judge ourselves, lest we be judged. We see this example in David in Psalm 139, where he said, "Search me, O Lord, and see if there be any wicked way in me." It is important for us to regularly come before God and ask, "Lord, is there anything in my life that is hindering You from working in a powerful and living way today?" I guarantee you, God is not going to say, "Well, if you don't know what it is, I'm not going to tell you." He desires fellowship with you and with me. If there is something hindering that fellowship today, He will make it clear.

Sometimes we don't fully realize what it is; we just know that something doesn't seem right. When we take the time to stop, step aside, and say, "Lord, would You search me and reveal if there's anything in my heart that is wrong?" He will do it. But here's the kicker: when He does, we need to take care of whatever it is He has shown us. Jesus said that if you go to the altar and bring your gift or offering, and there you remember that you have something wrong between you and your brother, you should leave your gift at the altar and go and make it right. You see, God desires reconciliation.

God will very clearly reveal what it is, but we've got to go by His strength and take care of it. We must determine that we are going to apologize to our spouse, whether it be our wife or husband. We need to apologize to our children or do whatever needs to be done. Maybe we have taken something that is not ours and need to restore it. Perhaps we have been hypocritical in some way, and the Lord has revealed it. Now, we need to confess not only to the Lord but sometimes to the individual we sinned against.

We read another very interesting passage in the book of James. If you turn over to James chapter 5, speaking about God healing, we see here in Acts chapter 5 that God was healing in powerful and miraculous ways. In James chapter 5, we read in verse 13, right after the book of Hebrews, "Is anyone among you afflicted or sick? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. If he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

Yet, verse 16 states, "Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." You see, James says if there is any sick among you, then call for the elders to come and pray for that individual. We will surely come and pray for you if you're sick. If you give us a call, we would love to come and pray with you and for you, anointing you with oil as the Lord has told us to do.

However, sometimes in praying for the sick and in the anointing of oil, there is a revelation in the heart and mind of that individual that they have sinned. If they regard iniquity in their heart, then the Lord does not hear their prayer. He says that if that is the case, the Lord will forgive you, but you must go and confess your faults one to another. Notice that His forgiveness comes first, but He still calls us to go and make it right. God gave Ananias an opportunity to confess his faults to Peter and the others in the body of Christ.

But because of his hardness of heart, he refused to do so, and judgment came. There is a great healing and a great blessing that takes place when we confess our sins to the Lord and receive His forgiveness. We also confess our faults to one another and lay aside everything that ensnares us easily. However, there is also a judgment of spiritual death that occurs if we do not. God is very clearly not a respecter of persons; He doesn't have favorites. God doesn't look around and say, "I like that person more than I like that person." He does not judge based on personal preference. Thank God He doesn't do that. He sees and examines the heart.

You see, God does not judge as we judge. I was just teaching this last week at the Bible College in Isaiah chapter 11. In this chapter, God says something very interesting through the prophet Isaiah. He states that our God does not judge by the seeing of the eyes and the hearing of the ears, but He judges by righteousness. How many of us know that our justice system here in America sometimes lacks true justice? When you and I, in this earthly realm, judge, we often do so according to what we see and hear.

How many of you have had jury duty before? They never seem to pick me. As soon as they hear that I am a pastor and I believe in the death penalty, they say, "You're excused." When you go to be a juror, the judge will tell you that you are not allowed to use your biases or presuppositions. You are not allowed to bring your views into the courtroom. You need to judge the testimony. You need to hear the testimony and judge the evidence. You are to take the evidence and the testimony and come to a conclusion about the case. We know that, based on those things, we can make wrong judgments. There are people in prison today who are wrongly incarcerated, and there are people on the streets today who should be in prison. Maybe some in this room. I don't know; perhaps that was from the Lord.

I don't know. But God doesn't judge by the seeing of the eyes or the hearing of the ears. God sees and examines the heart, and He judges with righteous judgment. There is a judgment that takes place. He is equitable and fair. He looks not just at what is given; He doesn't look at the evidence of what was given, but He also looks at the motive of the heart. What was the motive in giving?

There are people who give an awful lot. Many, Jesus says in Matthew chapter 7, will stand before the Lord on that day and say, "Lord, Lord, we prophesied in Your name. We cast out demons in Your name. We did many mighty works in Your name." And He will say, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." Why? Because you practice lawlessness. Yes, there were external good works, but there will never be an individual who stands before God and gives their plea, trying to show the evidence of all the good works they did. God judges the heart. He is completely equitable and fair.

Abraham asked God in Genesis chapter 18, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Our God is a righteous Judge, but He will judge nonetheless. Throughout the Scriptures, we see people judged because of the things they did and how they used what was given to them. The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis chapter 4, the story of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus chapter 10 and Numbers chapter 3, the story of Achan in Joshua chapter 7, the story of Saul in 1 Samuel chapter 15, and Elisha's servant in 2 Kings chapter 5 are all examples.

But the sad fact is that in many of those stories, not only was the individual judged, but their sin also affected their family. Cain's entire family received a curse. Achan's entire family was killed. Saul's entire family was rejected from the kingship. Elisha's servant's entire family was judged with leprosy. King David wrongly took a census and numbered the people in his day, and because of his sin, the entire nation of Israel was judged.

You see, the effects of our sin are much more far-reaching than just ourselves. You may think...

It's secret and silent; nobody knows, but God knows, and it affects the body of Christ. So God would say today is the day of salvation. Do not harden your heart as in the day of provocation when the children of Israel hardened their hearts and fell in the wilderness because of their unbelief. God says to confess your sins one to another, pray for one another, and the prayer of faith shall heal the sick.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, I know that this passage is convicting, Lord, but Your Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It's able to cut deep, dividing asunder between joints and marrow, soul and spirit. It's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our heart. Lord, Your Word discerns our motives.

Father, perhaps this morning You've convicted some in this room because our motives have not been towards You but towards ourselves. I pray that You would, by Your Spirit, convince and convict hearts to the point of confession and repentance. We know the promise that You've given: if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive. God, we love Your forgiveness, and we thank You that today, although we were formerly hypocrites and losers, You have made us holy and righteous by the work that You did on the cross, not by our works of righteousness, because they were as filthy rags.

Father, if there is any heart this morning with anger towards a brother or sister, or malice or wrath towards another individual, I pray that You would stir us and give us the strength by Your Spirit to make it right. May we experience the life that You've promised, the abundance of life, not just hereafter but here now. We pray in the mighty and precious name of Jesus. Amen.