This Sunday in our 8:30am Contemporary Service, we will continue through our study in the book of Acts. We've come to that story that can be misunderstood...especially in today's culture. Acts 5 tells the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who were basically both struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit.
I love what William Barclay says about this Bible story..."This is one of those stories which demonstrate the almost stubborn honesty of the Bible. It might well have been left out because it shows that even in the early church there were very imperfect Christians; but the Bible refuses to present an idealized picture of anything. But there is a certain encouragement in this story, for it shows that even in its greatest days the Church was a mixture of good and bad."
Just as in the perfect paradise of Eden, came the serpent, slithering and causing man to look away from God toward what man wanted, so enters Ananias and Sapphira during the days of, what one might call the honeymoon period of the early Church...following the serpent's example.
Peter made it clear, what people still don't understand about who we really sin against...
Acts 5:4, "...you have not lied to men but to God."
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