Recently I talked about Ananias and Sapphira and how they were trying to do on the outside what they did not have on the inside. They were severely punished for their hypocrisy and their punishment was death. I am so thankful that in my moments of hypocrisy the Lord has chosen to give me grace instead of striking me dead. You see if all our religion is on the outside and we are not truly changed through Jesus, then we will eventually die in our sin just like Ananias and Sapphira did.
Below is the passage where this story is told in Acts 5:1-16
But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico.13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. 14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, 15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16 Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.
There are two things in this passage my Pastor pointed out that I have missed the many times I have read and listened to this story. The first is in verse 11, we see here that after both Ananias and Sapphira died a great fear came over the whole church. Well, of course it did you know everyone was fearful that if they made a wrong step that the Lord was going to strike them dead. I will admit it would totally freak me out. But that is not what caught me or my Pastor. Look at verse 13-14, in this section we see that the non Christians are refusing to join the church in the portico but they did respect them. Then immediately after that we see that the church continued to grow exponentially. Wait, if the church was growing and non Christians were not coming to join then how were they hearing?
This to me is where I had to ask myself if I was doing it wrong. You see I strive to always seek opportunities to invite people to church and our church activities, however, I am not as bold or willing to seek to share Jesus outside the church. I am crazy bold with people I know and very outspoken but when you get me around people I don't know, then I loose my boldness and become very self conscious. I realized in this service that as I have been seeking the Lord for boldness it was to find opportunities to invite people to church...inside our building...where it is safe and easy to be bold. I was not truly asking for boldness outside that building and those activities. I was not seeking the Lord to give me bravery to speak to those I don't know who are hurting as they cross my path.
Yes , I realized that I may be doing it wrong and that is why I have not really felt the boldness of the Spirit. The church is not a building or activities run by "Pastors/Ministers", the church is the body of believers. Jesus called us to go and make disciples, he did not call us to bring them to church. Now, I am still a believer in inviting to church because we need fellowship and discipleship but I think many of us expect the church to do the work and all we have to do is get them in the building. Our world is broken and dying, people are hurt and angry, there are days I feel we have passed up the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah when it comes to worldly morality. Yet, in the midst of all this yuck are little pieces of salt and light...us! We are called to go to them in their broken, dirty, hurting and imperfect state and share the love of grace of Jesus. We are called to share out lives with them, the good, the bad and the ugly. They need to know that Christians are not perfect, are not trying to be perfect because we have the beauty of grace.
So my question to you is this...are you doing it wrong? I know I am and I can truly say my prayer has changed. Oh, how I want boldness. Oh, how this world needs us to have the boldness of the Spirit because it is broken and dying.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness,
but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish,
but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
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