Notes of a sermon preached at St Edumunds, Costessey, and again at St Helen’s, Costessey, on 27th October, 2024.

Here is ‘one of the most unnerving episodes in the entire NT.’ (Dunn)

‘Your God is too small.’ (Title of a book by J.B. Philips)

Resident Policeman – waiting to blow the whistle as soon as you step out of line
Emergency Firefighter – useful in an emergency
Slot-Machine – put in a prayer, and receive miracle
Cheerleader – just wants everyone to have a good time

‘The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him – and of her.’ (Tozer)

1. A God who imparts great grace, 4:32-37

v33 ‘With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.’

(i) Unity – ‘All the believers were one in heart and mind’, v32.

‘In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.’

Eph 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’

Making the first move towards that person I find a bit ‘difficult’.

He drew a circle that shut me out.
Heretic! Rebel! A thing to flout!
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that brought him it.

(ii) Generosity – ‘they shared everything they had’, v32, ‘there were no needy persons among them’, v34f.  Barnabas.

Which is the odd one out: faith, doctrine, Scripture, gospel, salvation, Holy Spirit, money?  Answer: none of them!  Money is a spiritual issue.

Luther: ‘There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind, and the conversion of the purse.’

Let me not ask: ‘How much of what I possess am I going to give to God’s work?’ but rather, ‘How much of what God has given me do I need to keep for myself?’

2. A God who evokes great fear, 5:1-11

Barnabas has just sold a field and laid the proceeds at the apostles’ feet.

Ananias and Sapphira also sell a piece of property, but keep some of the proceeds back for themselves.

What’s the big problem?

Deceit – They pretended they had given everything.
Envy – They wanted to be admired like Barnabas, without actually being like him.
Collusion – They hatched this plan together.
Unbelief – God either doesn’t know, or doesn’t care.
Impenitence – Like so many public figures today when they do wrong: not, ‘I’m sorry I did it’, but, ‘I’m sorry I got found out’.

They both collapsed and died!

It doesn’t say that God struck them down, or that Peter called down fire from heaven upon them.

But remember: this happened at a time when God’s Holy Spirit was moving with unusual power.  Just a few weeks earlier, the Holy Spirit came with power, and with what seemed to be tongues of fire.  And the same fire which warms and energises, also purifies and consumes.

Ananias and Sapphira imagined that they could lie to God’s Holy Spirit.  Suddenly, their thoughts and motives were exposed, and they couldn’t bear it.

I think they died from shock.

This is a very unusual event.  Many instances of instant healing (12-16), very few of sudden judgment.

‘God is making a point, rather than stamping a pattern’.

But it is clear that the God who imparts great grace also evokes great fear.

v5 – ‘Great fear seized all who heard what had happened’, v11 – ‘Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.’

But for those who know and love the Lord, this is not craven terror:

Heb 12:29 – ‘Let us serve God acceptably and with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”’

My God, how wonderful thou art,
Thy majesty how bright,
How beautiful thy mercy seat,
in depths of burning light!

How wonderful, how beautiful,
the sight of thee must be,
Thine endless wisdom, boundless pow’r,
and awful purity.

O how I fear thee, living God,
with deepest, tend’rest fears,
and worship thee with trembling hope,
and penitential tears.

Yet I may love thee too, O LORD,
Almighty as thou art;
for thou hast stooped to ask of me
the love of my poor heart.

 Father of Jesus, love’s reward,
what rapture will it be,
prostrate before thy throne to lie,
and ever gaze on thee!