1 00:00:02,580 --> 00:00:10,280 - I wanna encourage you all to make capacity. 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,080 If you don't have it already, 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,360 try to create capacity to be here on Thursday nights. 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:15,460 We have a midweek gathering. 5 00:00:15,460 --> 00:00:16,420 It's really rich. 6 00:00:16,420 --> 00:00:21,060 Pastor Justin opened Galatians chapter one on Thursday, 7 00:00:21,060 --> 00:00:23,920 and we're gonna be in Galatians chapter two this week. 8 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,300 And I'm speaking and I'll probably mess up the flow, 9 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:29,440 but I'm speaking and I'm excited. 10 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:30,540 But come and be a part of that. 11 00:00:30,540 --> 00:00:31,800 If you got youth or children, 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,100 there's ministry opportunities for them as well. 13 00:00:34,100 --> 00:00:36,640 We want them to come and be a part of that. 14 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,200 So at 6 p.m., if you missed this last week, 15 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:40,580 go back online and watch it, 16 00:00:40,580 --> 00:00:43,520 and come and join us for Galatians chapter two. 17 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,580 And then also, if you are new to Springhouse 18 00:00:45,580 --> 00:00:47,680 or new word of Springhouse, 19 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,180 and have not had an opportunity 20 00:00:49,180 --> 00:00:51,260 to participate in a newcomer lunch, 21 00:00:51,260 --> 00:00:54,560 our pastoral team's gonna be gathering on September 8th, 22 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,060 and want to eat lunch with you, 23 00:00:56,060 --> 00:00:57,900 and want to tell you about Springhouse, 24 00:00:57,900 --> 00:00:58,920 want to tell you about us. 25 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:00,560 And so this is an opportunity, 26 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,540 if you are new here, to come and learn about us, 27 00:01:02,540 --> 00:01:05,940 meet our pastors, and we want to meet you. 28 00:01:05,940 --> 00:01:08,340 Now, we would like you to register in the app. 29 00:01:08,340 --> 00:01:10,600 And if you don't know what I mean when I say the app, 30 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:11,840 one of our leaders will help you. 31 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:13,880 There's some placards out there in the foyer. 32 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,020 But even if you don't register, 33 00:01:16,020 --> 00:01:20,180 I still want you to come and you can have my sandwich, okay? 34 00:01:20,180 --> 00:01:21,780 But come and be a part of that. 35 00:01:21,780 --> 00:01:23,960 We wanna feed you and just spend some time with you. 36 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:25,380 Does that sound good? 37 00:01:25,380 --> 00:01:26,820 All right, great. 38 00:01:26,820 --> 00:01:30,260 Well, we have been in this series called His Church. 39 00:01:30,260 --> 00:01:34,760 We've been really leaning into the Holy Spirit 40 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:36,940 and what He does in His church. 41 00:01:36,940 --> 00:01:41,540 So have you ever, who here reads the Bible? 42 00:01:41,540 --> 00:01:42,840 - Yeah. 43 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:43,940 - Who here's a liar? 44 00:01:43,940 --> 00:01:45,440 No, okay, put your hands down. 45 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:46,280 Who here reads the Bible? 46 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:47,880 Okay, if we read the Bible, 47 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:49,020 have you ever read the Bible? 48 00:01:49,020 --> 00:01:50,340 You got to a portion of Scripture, 49 00:01:50,340 --> 00:01:51,340 you're reading the Bible at home, 50 00:01:51,340 --> 00:01:52,480 you're sitting up maybe on your couch, 51 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,280 or on the floor, or in the hot tub for some of you. 52 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,080 If you're there, you're reading the Bible 53 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,260 and you come upon a part of Scripture 54 00:02:00,260 --> 00:02:03,000 and you're like, I don't like that. 55 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:04,500 Does that ever happen to you? 56 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:07,720 Okay, we're gonna be reading one of those Scriptures today. 57 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,700 And let me tell you, if it's one thing 58 00:02:10,700 --> 00:02:13,340 where you don't like to be on your couch reading it 59 00:02:13,340 --> 00:02:16,300 and being like, I don't like it, I don't wanna teach it. 60 00:02:16,300 --> 00:02:18,340 But I'm gonna teach it. 61 00:02:18,340 --> 00:02:19,180 You know why? 62 00:02:19,180 --> 00:02:20,440 Because here at Springhouse, 63 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,380 we believe in the entire Word of God. 64 00:02:22,380 --> 00:02:24,720 Here at Springhouse, we believe that we teach, 65 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,540 we don't just parcel out the things that we like, 66 00:02:27,540 --> 00:02:30,960 we believe in the whole Word of God 67 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,620 and we need to teach from the whole Word of God, amen? 68 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:35,920 So those of you who are clapping, 69 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:37,420 we're gonna be especially convicted today. 70 00:02:37,420 --> 00:02:41,120 Okay, right, go, let's stand and we're gonna read. 71 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,700 Also, I do know like Pastor Justin last week 72 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:45,540 gave a little short Scripture for us to read 73 00:02:45,540 --> 00:02:47,660 and the week before we read a real short Scripture, 74 00:02:47,660 --> 00:02:49,640 we're gonna make up for that today, okay? 75 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:53,480 Here we go, let's read with some gusto church, here we go. 76 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,980 "All the believers were one in heart and mind," 77 00:02:56,980 --> 00:02:58,840 stop, we're gonna read that one more time. 78 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:03,060 "All the believers were one in heart and mind. 79 00:03:03,060 --> 00:03:08,020 "No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, 80 00:03:08,020 --> 00:03:11,300 "but they shared everything they had. 81 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:15,760 "With great power, the apostles continued to testify 82 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,700 "to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. 83 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:23,140 "And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all, 84 00:03:23,140 --> 00:03:26,940 "that there were no needy persons among them. 85 00:03:26,940 --> 00:03:31,280 "For from time to time, those who own land or houses 86 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,520 "sold them, brought the money from the sales 87 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,920 "and put it at the apostles' feet, 88 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,220 "and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 89 00:03:41,220 --> 00:03:44,100 "Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, 90 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:46,860 "whom the apostles called Barnabas, 91 00:03:46,860 --> 00:03:49,600 "which means son of encouragement, 92 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,960 "sold a field he owned and brought the money 93 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,800 "and put it at the apostles' feet. 94 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:00,600 "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, 95 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,480 "also sold a piece of property. 96 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,480 "With his wife's full knowledge, 97 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,720 "he kept back part of the money for himself, 98 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,680 "but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. 99 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,260 "Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan 100 00:04:17,260 --> 00:04:20,460 "'has so filled your heart that you have lied 101 00:04:20,460 --> 00:04:23,560 "'to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself 102 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,700 "'some of the money you received for the land? 103 00:04:26,700 --> 00:04:30,640 "'Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? 104 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,440 "'And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? 105 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,940 "'What made you think of doing such a thing? 106 00:04:38,940 --> 00:04:43,820 "'You have not lied to just human beings, but to God.' 107 00:04:43,820 --> 00:04:48,160 "When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. 108 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,560 "A great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 109 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,460 "Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, 110 00:04:56,460 --> 00:04:59,460 "and carried him out and buried him. 111 00:04:59,460 --> 00:05:02,840 "About three hours later, his wife came in, 112 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:05,040 "not knowing what had happened. 113 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,400 "Peter asked her, 'Tell me, is this the price 114 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,140 "'you and Ananias got for the land?' 115 00:05:11,140 --> 00:05:14,280 "'Yes,' she said, 'That is the price.' 116 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:17,660 "Peter said to her, 'How could you conspire 117 00:05:17,660 --> 00:05:20,060 "'to test the Spirit of the Lord? 118 00:05:20,060 --> 00:05:23,700 "'Listen, the feet of the men who buried your husband 119 00:05:23,700 --> 00:05:27,860 "'are at the door, and they will carry you out also.' 120 00:05:27,860 --> 00:05:31,840 "At that moment, she fell down at his feet and died. 121 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:35,100 "The young men came in and finding her dead, 122 00:05:35,100 --> 00:05:38,880 "carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 123 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,400 "Great fear seized the whole church 124 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,140 "and all who heard about these events." 125 00:05:44,140 --> 00:05:45,780 Father, I thank you for your word, 126 00:05:45,780 --> 00:05:48,340 and I thank you that all of it is true. 127 00:05:48,340 --> 00:05:50,780 I pray, Lord, that you would be with us this morning, 128 00:05:50,780 --> 00:05:52,920 that our hearts would be in a posture and a condition 129 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,120 to receive what you have from your Holy Spirit this morning. 130 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,820 We love you today, in Jesus' name, amen. 131 00:05:58,820 --> 00:05:59,920 You may be seated. 132 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:09,440 We live in a culture and a time and a society 133 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,940 where we have a tendency to believe 134 00:06:11,940 --> 00:06:15,240 that what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours. 135 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,740 What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours. 136 00:06:20,740 --> 00:06:24,240 And we work hard, we work hard. 137 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:25,840 ♪ Work hard for the money ♪ 138 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:30,840 Work, we work, we work hard so that we can build our house, 139 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:34,560 we can build our lives, we can build our palaces, 140 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,420 we can build our mansions, and we could have more, 141 00:06:37,420 --> 00:06:39,300 more, and more, and more stuff. 142 00:06:39,300 --> 00:06:40,760 Anybody got a storage unit? 143 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,400 It's gonna be a convicting morning this morning. 144 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,600 We live in a society that says give me, give me, 145 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,460 give me, give me, and when it comes to me noticing 146 00:06:52,460 --> 00:06:55,960 your need and me noticing the thing that you need, 147 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,100 I don't want anything to do with it. 148 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:01,640 'Cause I did what I was supposed to do to get mine. 149 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,180 You need to do what you need to do to get yours. 150 00:07:05,180 --> 00:07:08,720 Boy, is that not the culture we live in, 151 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,320 but that is not the kingdom we live in. 152 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,880 That is not how the kingdom of God operates. 153 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:16,120 It's not the kingdom we live in. 154 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:17,160 School started this week. 155 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,860 These are my four girls, and that's a picture of them 156 00:07:20,860 --> 00:07:21,960 on the first day of school. 157 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,060 Look at their innocent smiles. 158 00:07:24,060 --> 00:07:25,920 Look how precious they are. 159 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,840 Do you know that these girls fight? 160 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:33,080 These girls actually do sometimes fight. 161 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,800 And if I were to give you the top number one reason 162 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,840 that my girls fight with each other, 163 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,980 could you guess what it was? 164 00:07:40,980 --> 00:07:42,780 Over their? 165 00:07:42,780 --> 00:07:44,420 Over their stuff. 166 00:07:44,420 --> 00:07:46,280 Over their stuff. 167 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:47,620 I had it first. 168 00:07:47,620 --> 00:07:48,780 You had it first. 169 00:07:48,780 --> 00:07:49,960 Give it back to me. 170 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:51,320 That doesn't belong to you. 171 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:52,160 It's mine. 172 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,020 And I've resolved in my houses 173 00:07:54,020 --> 00:07:55,920 that when my kids fight over something, 174 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:57,320 we don't put the girls in timeout. 175 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,160 I put the toy in timeout. 176 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:00,660 It works every single time. 177 00:08:00,660 --> 00:08:03,300 All of a sudden, the matter gets resolved real fast 178 00:08:03,300 --> 00:08:06,040 when the stuff is taken away. 179 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,400 I wonder how many of us need some of our stuff 180 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,900 taken away so that we can be liberated 181 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:15,540 to actually build relationally. 182 00:08:15,540 --> 00:08:17,820 Build relationally. 183 00:08:17,820 --> 00:08:24,820 Our scripture this morning talks about the early church, 184 00:08:24,820 --> 00:08:27,060 and it says that they were in one heart 185 00:08:27,060 --> 00:08:28,620 and they were in one mind. 186 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:32,060 They were postured together in a position of unity. 187 00:08:32,060 --> 00:08:35,700 Psalm 133 says, "How good and pleasant it is 188 00:08:35,700 --> 00:08:37,920 "when God's people live together in unity. 189 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,100 "It's like precious oil poured on the head 190 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:43,100 "running down the beard, running down Aaron's beard, 191 00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:45,240 "down the collar of his robe. 192 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,980 "It is as if the dew of Herman were falling on Mount Zion." 193 00:08:47,980 --> 00:08:49,440 Listen to this. 194 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:54,080 "For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." 195 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,740 Where does the Lord bestow his blessing? 196 00:08:56,740 --> 00:08:59,320 Where there is unity. 197 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,080 In the early church, first century church, 198 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,620 the church was under grave persecution. 199 00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:08,620 Anybody who called themselves a Christian, 200 00:09:08,620 --> 00:09:10,320 it was a derogatory statement. 201 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,660 If you were called a Christian, it was not a good thing. 202 00:09:12,660 --> 00:09:14,360 Now here in the Bible about myself, 203 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:15,700 you're a Christian, I'm a Christian, 204 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:17,840 everybody's a Christian. 205 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,500 Not really, but we are Christian, right? 206 00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:24,040 It's an okay thing to just announce and say 207 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,200 there's not really a problem, especially here in the South. 208 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,420 But back in this time period, if you were a Christian, 209 00:09:30,420 --> 00:09:32,020 it was you were persecuted. 210 00:09:32,020 --> 00:09:33,280 This was not something, 211 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:34,480 this is something you certainly could be proud of 212 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,260 because you knew who the king was, 213 00:09:36,260 --> 00:09:37,720 but it wasn't something necessary 214 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:39,320 that you wanted to go out and be like, 215 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,220 "Hey everybody, I'm a Christian," 216 00:09:41,220 --> 00:09:43,120 unless you were ready to lose your life. 217 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,020 They were under persecution. 218 00:09:46,020 --> 00:09:48,460 They were under grave persecution. 219 00:09:48,460 --> 00:09:51,040 And at this time, the numbers had grown 220 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:52,900 to the point when Acts chapter four, 221 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:55,140 between Pentecost and the gate beautiful 222 00:09:55,140 --> 00:09:57,140 and the numbers of thousands that were added, 223 00:09:57,140 --> 00:09:59,700 this would be almost be considered a mega church. 224 00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:02,020 There were thousands and thousands and thousands 225 00:10:02,020 --> 00:10:04,420 of persecuted Christians meeting in homes 226 00:10:04,420 --> 00:10:08,480 all around Jerusalem, the church of Jesus Christ. 227 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,020 And they were meeting, they were persecuted. 228 00:10:10,020 --> 00:10:11,260 And I don't know about you, 229 00:10:11,260 --> 00:10:13,820 but when I think of persecuted people, 230 00:10:13,820 --> 00:10:18,760 I do not associate in my mind a persecuted population 231 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,700 with having everything that they need. 232 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:24,560 When I think persecution and I think persecuted people, 233 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,340 I think they are fighting for the things that they need, 234 00:10:27,340 --> 00:10:31,100 but not that they have everything that they need. 235 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:35,880 But a spirit of generosity hit the first century church. 236 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:40,280 A spirit of generosity and being others' focus 237 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,160 because of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ 238 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,420 and his resurrection and the gospel 239 00:10:46,420 --> 00:10:48,060 that was being preached and the belief 240 00:10:48,060 --> 00:10:51,220 that this God of the universe would supply every need 241 00:10:51,220 --> 00:10:53,520 according to his riches and glory, 242 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,400 the people of the first century church 243 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,360 were willing to rend their resources available 244 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,140 for whatever was needed in the church. 245 00:11:01,140 --> 00:11:04,940 Imagine church, to have a church population 246 00:11:04,940 --> 00:11:07,640 where every need was met every single time. 247 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,980 Some of them sold fields and sold houses 248 00:11:11,980 --> 00:11:14,880 and they were rendering all of the things of their wealth 249 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,220 in order to lay it up, listen to what it says. 250 00:11:17,220 --> 00:11:19,420 It says they laid it at the apostles' feet. 251 00:11:19,420 --> 00:11:21,020 It didn't say this. 252 00:11:21,020 --> 00:11:23,700 I sold my property and I looked around for a need 253 00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:26,200 and I went and I gave my stuff 254 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,300 to who I thought it should go to. 255 00:11:28,300 --> 00:11:32,340 It says I rendered my resources 256 00:11:32,340 --> 00:11:35,200 and I laid it at the apostles' feet 257 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,280 because the Lord had established the apostles 258 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,680 to be in charge of where the funding and the resources go 259 00:11:42,680 --> 00:11:44,740 so that everyone's needs are met. 260 00:11:44,740 --> 00:11:48,520 You see, sometimes when we designate what we're doing, 261 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,460 it brings a lot of glory to us. 262 00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:53,420 It brings a lot of glory to us. 263 00:11:53,420 --> 00:11:55,060 You know what, I'm gonna give, 264 00:11:55,060 --> 00:11:56,400 you know, Lord, I'm gonna tithe 265 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:57,700 and I'm gonna give that check to that church 266 00:11:57,700 --> 00:11:59,300 and I'm sure I'm telling them where it's gonna go 267 00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:02,840 because they're not gonna trust them to do it. 268 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,460 Please, I'm gonna designate a contribution. 269 00:12:05,460 --> 00:12:06,400 It needs to go right here. 270 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,300 This is what I want it for. 271 00:12:08,300 --> 00:12:09,900 Well, good, glory to you. 272 00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:16,080 Now, I'm not saying be disobedient 273 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,820 if the Lord tells you to do something specific 274 00:12:18,820 --> 00:12:25,780 but, but if you don't trust the Lord, 275 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,360 that's another whole thing. 276 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:29,300 It's another whole thing. 277 00:12:29,300 --> 00:12:32,100 They laid it at the apostles' feet here. 278 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:34,700 What a surrender, what a trust move 279 00:12:34,700 --> 00:12:37,140 to give something substantial to someone 280 00:12:37,140 --> 00:12:39,160 that you have no idea what they're gonna do with it 281 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:40,540 but say, God, I trust you. 282 00:12:40,540 --> 00:12:44,280 I trust you, have your way. 283 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,580 Have, have your way. 284 00:12:46,580 --> 00:12:49,880 It's easy to be a part of the church 285 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,380 if your version of the church looks like the world. 286 00:12:52,380 --> 00:12:55,820 It's easy to be a part of the church 287 00:12:55,820 --> 00:12:57,680 if your version of the church looks like the world. 288 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:00,160 These people didn't have that privilege. 289 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,700 So some of us come into church and we look like the world 290 00:13:04,700 --> 00:13:06,260 and we're a part of the church 291 00:13:06,260 --> 00:13:09,240 and we don't ever have any problems with what we're doing 292 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:10,540 because we're never really convicted 293 00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:12,340 because it's okay for me to have one foot in the world, 294 00:13:12,340 --> 00:13:14,800 one foot in the church and everything's great 295 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,600 except for you think you're serving God and you're not. 296 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,840 You're serving yourself. 297 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,540 Y'all are so glad you came to Springhouse this morning. 298 00:13:23,540 --> 00:13:26,200 (congregation laughing) 299 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,500 So it specifically mentions a guy by the name of Joseph. 300 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:33,440 The apostles changed his name to Barnabas 301 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,880 which means son of encouragement. 302 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,720 And Barnabas is going to play a very significant role 303 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,060 in the story as we unpack Acts in the future 304 00:13:43,060 --> 00:13:45,720 and we're going to learn a lot about Barnabas. 305 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,960 Barnabas sells a field and he lays the funding 306 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,900 at the apostles' feet and trusts them 307 00:13:52,900 --> 00:13:56,800 to use it to advance God's kingdom. 308 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,280 But this is starkly paralleled by another story 309 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,840 that picks up in chapter five 310 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,340 by a couple named Ananias and Sapphira. 311 00:14:06,340 --> 00:14:07,720 We just read about them. 312 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:13,580 They tried to present themselves as wealthy, 313 00:14:13,580 --> 00:14:16,260 as wealthy, as important. 314 00:14:16,260 --> 00:14:18,060 Ananias has this idea and he says, 315 00:14:18,060 --> 00:14:21,800 "You know, we got a field or we have house that we can sell. 316 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:26,800 "Let's do the same thing, but let's try to infiltrate in 317 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:31,200 "to allow ourselves to be elevated 318 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,800 "so that we have the influence and the leadership 319 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,480 "and the say of what's going on in the church." 320 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:44,240 Do you know how easy it is, easy it is, 321 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,580 to take a nudge and a step in that direction? 322 00:14:46,580 --> 00:14:51,060 Man, I've got a big check to write this week. 323 00:14:51,060 --> 00:14:52,660 Here I am, come get my check. 324 00:14:52,660 --> 00:14:55,520 Look what I'm giving. 325 00:14:55,520 --> 00:15:00,260 So Ananias and Sapphira come up with this plan 326 00:15:00,260 --> 00:15:05,260 that they're gonna come and give only a portion 327 00:15:05,260 --> 00:15:08,100 of what is supposed to be due 328 00:15:08,100 --> 00:15:09,880 and what they're going to give. 329 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,340 And here's the thing, they didn't have to give it. 330 00:15:12,340 --> 00:15:15,020 They didn't have to give it. 331 00:15:15,020 --> 00:15:20,320 But Peter asked this very important question, why? 332 00:15:20,740 --> 00:15:22,740 I want you to lean into that question for just a moment. 333 00:15:22,740 --> 00:15:25,620 When you give something or you do something, 334 00:15:25,620 --> 00:15:28,560 it is a great question to ask why. 335 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,260 And who are you asking that why question to? 336 00:15:31,260 --> 00:15:32,460 The Holy Spirit of God. 337 00:15:32,460 --> 00:15:37,600 Not why as in why are you having me do this, 338 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,640 but God, judge the motive of my heart 339 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,140 of why I'm doing this, right? 340 00:15:43,140 --> 00:15:47,280 And so he says, "Why has Satan filled you 341 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,740 "to the point that you are lying?" 342 00:15:50,740 --> 00:15:53,320 Why has Satan filled you to the point 343 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,720 to where you are lying? 344 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,080 I want us to understand, church, that the enemy, 345 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,620 I believe Ananias and Sapphira were believers. 346 00:16:01,620 --> 00:16:03,120 They were going to the church. 347 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,620 They were a part of the church. 348 00:16:04,620 --> 00:16:09,100 So is it possible that we could have Ananias and Sapphira 349 00:16:09,100 --> 00:16:09,960 in this room? 350 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:11,800 It's very possible. 351 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:19,640 And so Satan enters the mind. 352 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,340 Do you know that sin and disobedience, 353 00:16:22,340 --> 00:16:24,440 it starts with a thought. 354 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:25,740 It begins with a thought. 355 00:16:25,740 --> 00:16:27,840 You conceive a thought in your mind. 356 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,580 And as believers, we have been given the power 357 00:16:30,580 --> 00:16:33,080 to take captive the thoughts that we have 358 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:37,280 and give them to the Lord and be liberated from that sin. 359 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,920 But there are times when we allow that thought 360 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,100 to be conceived and take action in our flesh. 361 00:16:44,100 --> 00:16:46,500 The scripture tells us, "Spirit gives birth to spirit, 362 00:16:46,500 --> 00:16:48,900 "flesh gives birth to flesh." 363 00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:50,940 And so our flesh starts to take over 364 00:16:50,940 --> 00:16:52,340 that thought that was conceived, 365 00:16:52,340 --> 00:16:56,340 and then we begin to put that word into action. 366 00:16:56,340 --> 00:16:57,740 And most of the time, friend, 367 00:16:57,740 --> 00:17:00,980 it starts with something so stinking small, 368 00:17:00,980 --> 00:17:02,520 so small that people would be like, 369 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,540 "That's insignificant, it's not a big deal." 370 00:17:04,540 --> 00:17:06,880 Starts so small, but just like any plant 371 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,220 that gets into the soil and gets watered, 372 00:17:09,220 --> 00:17:12,620 it begins to grow, and it begins to be much bigger, 373 00:17:12,620 --> 00:17:14,460 and it begins to take root. 374 00:17:14,460 --> 00:17:17,420 Why have you allowed Satan to fill you up, 375 00:17:17,420 --> 00:17:19,060 to point you to lie? 376 00:17:19,060 --> 00:17:22,200 How have you allowed this to happen? 377 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,240 To keep for yourself a part of the money. 378 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,600 And then Peter says something strikingly hard. 379 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:33,100 "You have not lied only to man, 380 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:36,040 "but you have lied to the Holy Spirit." 381 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:41,320 Have you ever had anyone attribute a lie 382 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,320 to something that was either inanimate 383 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:44,620 or not a living thing? 384 00:17:44,620 --> 00:17:46,920 Like, you're lying to the wind, 385 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:48,820 you're lying to the wall, 386 00:17:48,820 --> 00:17:50,560 you're lying to the chair, 387 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,200 you're lying to the firework, I don't know. 388 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:58,400 Guys, you can't lie to inanimate things. 389 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,640 You lie to people. 390 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:05,580 Which that tells me, if you can lie to the Holy Spirit, 391 00:18:05,580 --> 00:18:09,940 it further emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is a person. 392 00:18:09,940 --> 00:18:13,080 The Holy Spirit is not only a person, 393 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,760 but the Holy Spirit is equal to God Almighty. 394 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:22,760 Sometimes I feel that we as people reduce the power, 395 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,360 the holiness, and the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. 396 00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:29,760 We don't give him the same type of reverence and respect 397 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,240 that we give God the Father and God the Son. 398 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,040 But God the Holy Spirit is still God. 399 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,800 He is the same God yesterday, today, and forevermore. 400 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,180 And so yes, he is in your life to be a comforter, 401 00:18:42,180 --> 00:18:44,920 absolutely, but he is also a holy God 402 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,520 to help you walk in conviction and surrender. 403 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:52,260 And so our job is to lean in, not lean out, 404 00:18:52,260 --> 00:18:54,620 but lean in to the Holy Spirit. 405 00:18:54,620 --> 00:18:55,820 Now, let me tell you the times 406 00:18:55,820 --> 00:18:57,900 when I disobey the Holy Spirit, 407 00:18:57,900 --> 00:18:59,260 the things that come out of my mouth 408 00:18:59,260 --> 00:19:01,620 are justification for the sin that I'm doing. 409 00:19:01,620 --> 00:19:06,300 Because we have to make ourselves feel good 410 00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:07,840 about what we're doing, 411 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:09,000 especially if there's a thought 412 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,440 of what we're doing is wrong. 413 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:14,940 The Holy Spirit is a person, 414 00:19:14,940 --> 00:19:19,680 and it says that great fear came upon all who heard it. 415 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,680 Could you imagine just right in the middle of my message, 416 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,580 if I said, "Kurt Bryson, you are living in sin," 417 00:19:27,580 --> 00:19:31,120 a great hush across the crowd. 418 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:32,920 Kurt, no. 419 00:19:35,260 --> 00:19:40,260 Great fear, great fear came upon all that heard it. 420 00:19:40,260 --> 00:19:44,300 I believe this morning, not just morning, 421 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:45,540 but all throughout Scripture, 422 00:19:45,540 --> 00:19:47,180 but this morning in particular here at Springhouse, 423 00:19:47,180 --> 00:19:49,680 the Lord wants to speak to the issue 424 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,140 of us holding onto things like this, 425 00:19:52,140 --> 00:19:57,140 as opposed to holding onto things like this, truly, truly. 426 00:19:57,140 --> 00:19:59,520 It's interesting to me that where we are 427 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:00,780 in Scripture right now, 428 00:20:00,780 --> 00:20:03,220 God is about to do some mighty things 429 00:20:03,220 --> 00:20:05,020 through the first century church. 430 00:20:05,020 --> 00:20:06,260 But this isn't the first time 431 00:20:06,260 --> 00:20:07,720 that God has done mighty things. 432 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,120 If you go back to Joshua, 433 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:13,060 the book of Joshua chapter seven, 434 00:20:13,060 --> 00:20:17,300 the Israelites have crossed over 435 00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:19,100 and they are into the Promised Land, 436 00:20:19,100 --> 00:20:23,140 and God says, "I am going to give to you all of the cities, 437 00:20:23,140 --> 00:20:26,280 "all of the plunder, I'm going to make you victorious." 438 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,380 And so they get up to the very first city, which was? 439 00:20:29,380 --> 00:20:32,480 Who reads their Bible? 440 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:33,920 No, Jericho, right? 441 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,280 They get to Jericho, right? 442 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:36,680 They get to Jericho and God says, 443 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,220 "I've delivered this city in your hands. 444 00:20:39,220 --> 00:20:41,920 "I've delivered Jericho into your hands." 445 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,860 And so they circle, they circle Jericho 446 00:20:45,860 --> 00:20:47,100 and they begin to march. 447 00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:48,340 And I'm gonna tell you guys, 448 00:20:48,340 --> 00:20:51,240 I am as flawed as the worst person in this room. 449 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,340 I'm gonna tell you, the minute the leader came up and said, 450 00:20:53,340 --> 00:20:55,040 "Here's how we're gonna fight. 451 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,300 "We're gonna walk around these walls silently. 452 00:20:57,300 --> 00:20:59,880 "We're gonna do that for seven days. 453 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:00,800 "And on the seventh day, 454 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:02,040 "we're going to do it seven times." 455 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:03,280 I'm probably gonna be one of those ones, 456 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,480 but this is, have you ever had a leader do something 457 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,460 and you're like, "That is an idiotic move." 458 00:21:08,460 --> 00:21:11,860 Right, I mean, you know I am a leader here. 459 00:21:11,860 --> 00:21:16,020 Okay, yeah, I actually, I hear that quite a bit, 460 00:21:16,020 --> 00:21:18,720 'cause my ideas are kind of crazy sometimes. 461 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:20,960 But I would be one of those people, so, 462 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,640 but they obey God. 463 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,260 Do you know that there's always victory when you obey? 464 00:21:25,260 --> 00:21:26,200 - Yes. 465 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:27,600 - When you obey the Holy Spirit? 466 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,680 Even when it doesn't look like it? 467 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,200 Even when it's awkward? 468 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:32,880 Even when you don't understand it? 469 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,680 When you choose to obey, He will always triumph. 470 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,680 He always, you're always victorious. 471 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:38,620 And so guess what? 472 00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:40,220 Those walls sure did fall down. 473 00:21:40,220 --> 00:21:43,520 And glory to glory, they were victorious that day, 474 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,580 but there was a man named Achan. 475 00:21:45,580 --> 00:21:50,360 God said, "I want the first of everything, 476 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:52,560 "so you're gonna give me the plunder 477 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,260 "of everything in Jericho." 478 00:21:54,260 --> 00:21:55,100 Why? 479 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:56,300 Because God is so broke. 480 00:21:56,300 --> 00:21:57,560 He needs a handout, right? 481 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,260 No, no, God doesn't need any of it. 482 00:22:00,260 --> 00:22:04,540 God said, "Wait, when you are victorious in Jericho, 483 00:22:04,540 --> 00:22:07,300 "I want there to be no temptation for you to think 484 00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:09,180 "that you did this on your own. 485 00:22:09,180 --> 00:22:10,440 "So when you go in there and you see 486 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:12,020 "all that wonderful plunder, 487 00:22:12,020 --> 00:22:13,580 "you're gonna give it to me. 488 00:22:13,580 --> 00:22:14,820 "You're gonna give it to me." 489 00:22:14,820 --> 00:22:17,020 Guys, part of the reason we tithe 490 00:22:17,020 --> 00:22:18,360 is because we're supposed to, 491 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:19,920 when we get something, the first thing we say, 492 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:21,220 "God, it's yours. 493 00:22:21,220 --> 00:22:22,160 "God, it's yours. 494 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,160 "God, it's just filtering right through me. 495 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:26,160 "God, it is yours. 496 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:27,860 "I trust you with what I have." 497 00:22:27,860 --> 00:22:29,060 He says, "I want the plunder." 498 00:22:29,060 --> 00:22:31,200 But there's a man named Achan, 499 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:32,860 and he says, "You know what? 500 00:22:32,860 --> 00:22:34,900 "This is not gonna make it. 501 00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:36,200 "This is a small little." 502 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:37,840 There is massive plunder here. 503 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,140 Nobody's gonna miss this little trinket. 504 00:22:40,140 --> 00:22:41,640 Nobody's gonna miss this little thing. 505 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,840 And he goes, and I just find it so hilarious. 506 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,240 He goes to his, he hides it in his tent. 507 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:47,740 Do you ever think that there's a room in your house 508 00:22:47,740 --> 00:22:49,180 that God doesn't visit? 509 00:22:49,180 --> 00:22:50,620 It's like, this is my sin room. 510 00:22:50,620 --> 00:22:52,980 If there's a place in my house, this is where I can go, 511 00:22:52,980 --> 00:22:54,580 and God doesn't see anything that's going on. 512 00:22:54,580 --> 00:22:55,720 He hid it. 513 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:57,720 Like God wasn't like just watching him. 514 00:22:57,720 --> 00:22:59,560 I mean, just ridiculous, right? 515 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,660 And so they find Achan out, and they get to Achan. 516 00:23:03,660 --> 00:23:05,900 Achan confesses. 517 00:23:05,900 --> 00:23:08,360 He confesses, I did it. 518 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:11,400 And they said, "Achan, you are just, you know what? 519 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,260 "We checked the tithe records in Utah. 520 00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:16,180 "You're such a good guy. 521 00:23:16,180 --> 00:23:17,000 "You know what? 522 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,280 "Your smile is great, and you're so kind. 523 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:19,140 "We're just gonna let you go. 524 00:23:19,140 --> 00:23:19,980 "Just give it back. 525 00:23:19,980 --> 00:23:20,780 "We're just gonna let you go, 526 00:23:20,780 --> 00:23:22,020 "and just give it back, 527 00:23:22,020 --> 00:23:23,520 "and we'll put it back here now." 528 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,740 Don't do that again, okay? 529 00:23:25,740 --> 00:23:26,740 No, they killed him. 530 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:28,640 (congregation murmuring) 531 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,780 They killed him, okay? 532 00:23:30,780 --> 00:23:32,380 That was Old Testament. 533 00:23:32,380 --> 00:23:33,780 Oh, it's so good that those things happen 534 00:23:33,780 --> 00:23:36,340 in the Old Testament, but never would happen to us. 535 00:23:36,340 --> 00:23:38,740 Oh, wait a minute. 536 00:23:38,740 --> 00:23:40,680 We're in the New Testament. 537 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,560 This is after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 538 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,400 We're actually in the first century church, 539 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:52,420 and Ananias and Sapphira, right? 540 00:23:52,420 --> 00:23:55,240 This is the first egregious act 541 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,560 that is mentioned in the church. 542 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:01,400 Achan was the first mention of an egregious act 543 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,240 after getting into the Promised Land. 544 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:05,580 Interestingly enough, 545 00:24:05,580 --> 00:24:08,440 both have to do with possessions and stuff. 546 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:12,580 Guys, I'm telling you, there is a danger 547 00:24:12,580 --> 00:24:14,520 when you hold on to the materials 548 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,480 and the possessions of the world, 549 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,060 because God is, you do not belong to the world. 550 00:24:19,060 --> 00:24:20,520 You live in the world, but you do not belong. 551 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,600 You belong to a kingdom. 552 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,060 You belong to a kingdom, 553 00:24:24,060 --> 00:24:27,000 and I think for us to come into the church 554 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,640 and lift our hands and sing lyrics that says this, 555 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:30,860 I stole this from Will's chart. 556 00:24:30,860 --> 00:24:33,440 If he was playing badly, it's my fault, okay? 557 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,680 It says this, "Completely, deeply sold out, 558 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,040 "sincerely abandoned. 559 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,440 "I'm completely, freely, hands to the ceiling, enamored. 560 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,520 "My one life endeavor to match your surrender, 561 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,620 "to mirror not my will but yours. 562 00:24:48,620 --> 00:24:52,460 "I'm completely, deeply, don't care who sees me abandoned, 563 00:24:52,460 --> 00:24:54,460 "except when it comes to my stuff. 564 00:24:54,460 --> 00:24:58,600 "Except when it comes to my stuff. 565 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:03,640 "I don't know a higher level of hypocrisy in the church 566 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:05,260 "than to worship a God like this 567 00:25:05,260 --> 00:25:07,840 "and not be liberated to give your stuff away." 568 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:17,680 There were two casualties on this day, 569 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,360 and it all surrounded money. 570 00:25:20,360 --> 00:25:23,260 Interestingly enough, what is still the most controversial 571 00:25:23,260 --> 00:25:26,000 point in the church today, money. 572 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,920 Money will chase people out so fast. 573 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:32,100 What's going on with the money? 574 00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:33,840 What's going on with the money? 575 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:35,760 I am so glad that the Lord has liberated 576 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:37,300 my thought process about that. 577 00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:42,840 We want to be a church where the Spirit of God is moving. 578 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:44,240 I heard a pastor say it like this. 579 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:45,840 If you want a vision statement for the church, 580 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,080 we want Jerusalem 2.0. 581 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:49,840 We want to see everything, but guys, again, 582 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,760 we cannot cherry pick the things that we see in scripture. 583 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:54,760 We want God to move in the miraculous. 584 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,560 We want to see him blow over the people. 585 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,120 We want to see him take care of the needs, 586 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,400 healing, all those things that we see in Jerusalem 587 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,300 happening in first century church. 588 00:26:04,300 --> 00:26:06,500 We want to see that here happening in our church, 589 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:09,920 but it can't just be the things that we really like, 590 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,740 because he is a sovereign, holy God. 591 00:26:13,740 --> 00:26:18,440 So the Bible in the New Testament commands us 592 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:22,840 to arrive at a place of holiness and devotion, 593 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:28,480 and for us to understand that this type of thing 594 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,060 that happened to Ananias and Sapphira 595 00:26:31,060 --> 00:26:33,580 could happen in any church. 596 00:26:33,580 --> 00:26:35,080 It could happen in this church. 597 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,240 I remember Bruce Coble, Pastor Bruce Coble, 598 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,600 he was speaking one Sunday, 599 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,600 and he was sitting over here, 600 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:46,640 and Pastor Wayne was leading worship, 601 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,520 and Pastor Wayne felt like we needed to lean in 602 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:50,560 a little bit into worship, 603 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:52,620 and it bled over into the speaking time, 604 00:26:52,620 --> 00:26:54,620 and Bruce started to get steamy back there. 605 00:26:54,620 --> 00:26:56,320 He started to get real upset, 606 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:58,660 because he was like, man, this is my chance, 607 00:26:58,660 --> 00:27:00,820 my time to speak the word God's given me, 608 00:27:00,820 --> 00:27:03,380 and we're going into this, and it's chopping into my time, 609 00:27:03,380 --> 00:27:05,680 and he was just so upset, and the Holy Spirit of God 610 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,060 fell on Bruce Coble and said, 611 00:27:07,060 --> 00:27:09,400 "Do you want my will, or do you want your own?" 612 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,520 And you know what he told me when he told me that story? 613 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,700 He said, "Kevin, God Almighty could have struck me dead 614 00:27:16,700 --> 00:27:17,620 "at that moment, 615 00:27:17,620 --> 00:27:22,600 "because Bruce Coble has a reverent fear of the Lord." 616 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:29,800 And so we have to be a people who are willing 617 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,920 to live truth. 618 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:34,800 So here's three things I want us to glean 619 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,640 from the scriptures that we read today. 620 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,380 Number one, giving is a big deal. 621 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,080 Giving is a big, it's a big deal. 622 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,080 There are very few things that we can do 623 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:52,400 that demonstrate God's character and His love than giving. 624 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,660 We should be deeply sacrificial givers. 625 00:27:56,660 --> 00:27:59,880 We should be deeply sacrificial givers. 626 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:03,360 Barnabas is lifted up as an example for us to see. 627 00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:06,440 He is identified as somebody, have you ever, 628 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,760 I gotta really, somebody encouraged me 629 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:10,920 really greatly this morning. 630 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,280 They came into my office and they said, 631 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,240 "I took somebody to lunch this past week 632 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,200 "and I didn't have money." 633 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,480 And I thought to myself, oh crap, I don't, oh, 634 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,640 yeah, I can say that, I guess. 635 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:22,840 I don't know if he said that or not. 636 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:27,280 He said, "I didn't have, I needed about 40 bucks 637 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,360 "to pay for this meal and I didn't know 638 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:31,840 "how I was gonna do it and I didn't want to, 639 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,280 "I wanted to pay for the person." 640 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:34,140 You know what he said? 641 00:28:34,140 --> 00:28:35,680 You were one of the first people I thought to call 642 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:36,560 'cause I knew if I called you, 643 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:38,720 you'd be right there to give me the money. 644 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:41,160 I thought, man, what a compliment. 645 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:42,760 I hope that's my heart. 646 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,480 I hope that's who I am. 647 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,840 I hope that that's really the truth of the matter. 648 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:48,360 Have you ever taken somebody to lunch 649 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:49,360 and you know you're gonna be paying 650 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:50,960 'cause they leave their wallet at home every time 651 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:52,360 or they leave it in the car? 652 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,120 Right? 653 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:56,920 That's called forced generosity. 654 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:06,680 We have to graduate from the idea 655 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:08,600 that if I give, I'm gonna get. 656 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,760 Generosity, when we read it in the scripture, 657 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:15,920 was tied to the freedom to proclaim Christ Jesus. 658 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,240 The freedom to proclaim Christ Jesus. 659 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,680 Can you think right now of the most generous person you know? 660 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:21,520 Think right now. 661 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,120 Who in your life is like the most, 662 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:25,080 who would you say, man, that is, 663 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,000 that person is the most generous? 664 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:33,360 It's most likely that you can also attribute to that person 665 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,060 that they don't think that they're 666 00:29:36,060 --> 00:29:38,240 the most generous person in the room, 667 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,200 that they are working to be even more generous. 668 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,600 But you probably see attributes of kindness 669 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,400 and joy and humility because they're not holding on to stuff. 670 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:54,200 And generous people are hugely blessed by giving. 671 00:29:54,200 --> 00:30:00,720 Hugely blessed to see you react to their giving. 672 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:04,800 I was in a church once and they were doing the offering. 673 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,560 And the guy got up and he said, 674 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:11,000 "I want everybody to pull out some bill, some cash bill." 675 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,920 Okay, if I did that today, 676 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:14,960 about 10 of you would probably have cash, 677 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:16,300 it'd be credit cards. 678 00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:17,540 But this was a time where cash 679 00:30:17,540 --> 00:30:18,560 was a little bit more prominent, 680 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:19,680 but everybody pull out a bill 681 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:21,880 and people were pulling out dollar bills, $5 bills. 682 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:23,760 Some people pull out $100 bills. 683 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:25,240 Look at me, I got my $100 bill. 684 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:26,240 Everybody pull out a bill. 685 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:28,080 And he says, "Okay, now what I want you to do 686 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,360 is I want you to keep an eye on your money. 687 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,080 Keep an eye on your money. 688 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,660 And what I want you to do is I want you to take your bill 689 00:30:34,660 --> 00:30:38,360 and I want you to hand it to the person to your right." 690 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,160 And so the church passed their bill 691 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:41,440 down to the person on the right. 692 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:42,340 He said, "Now what do you feel 693 00:30:42,340 --> 00:30:43,480 about the bill that's in your hand?" 694 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:44,620 There was laughter in the room 695 00:30:44,620 --> 00:30:46,200 'cause the person with $100 bill 696 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,320 passed it down and got a $1 bill. 697 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:50,600 And the person that had $1 bill got $100 bill. 698 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:52,480 So they were laughing and they were, wow. 699 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:53,320 And he said, "Okay." 700 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,380 He said, "Now keep your eye on your money. 701 00:30:56,380 --> 00:30:57,780 Keep your eye on your money. 702 00:30:57,780 --> 00:30:59,960 But I'm gonna ask you, pass it one more time, 703 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:00,860 just down to the right. 704 00:31:00,860 --> 00:31:03,200 Pass it, make sure you don't lose sight of your money." 705 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:04,040 And everybody's laughing. 706 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,160 And of course the person with a $5 bill now has a $10 bill 707 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:08,400 and vice versa and there's laughter. 708 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,700 And he said, "Okay, everybody got your eye on your money? 709 00:31:10,700 --> 00:31:13,840 Okay, listen, listen, one more time, just one more time. 710 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:14,900 Keep your eye on your money. 711 00:31:14,900 --> 00:31:17,060 Pass the money down one more person. 712 00:31:17,060 --> 00:31:17,900 Make sure you see it." 713 00:31:17,900 --> 00:31:19,300 And of course the church is erupting 714 00:31:19,300 --> 00:31:20,740 because everybody's, where's my money? 715 00:31:20,740 --> 00:31:21,580 All this stuff. 716 00:31:21,580 --> 00:31:25,360 And he said, "You know, that exercise was so easy. 717 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,420 Why don't you just keep passing all the way down 718 00:31:27,420 --> 00:31:28,960 and we're gonna collect it at the end of the row?" 719 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,840 And they collected all the cash and walked out that day. 720 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:33,480 Okay? 721 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,680 I'd like you to pull out a dollar. 722 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:37,880 No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. 723 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:39,240 Now we would never do that here 724 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,960 because that's a bit manipulative, okay? 725 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:43,580 But there is a principle. 726 00:31:43,580 --> 00:31:46,520 There's a principle attached to that. 727 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:51,360 Minus the manipulation, the fact that it's nothing 728 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,860 to just allow it to flow freely. 729 00:31:54,860 --> 00:31:59,160 What would it look like if we were just able to freely? 730 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:00,800 Let me ask you a question. 731 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,680 If God, I'm being serious. 732 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:06,880 If God Almighty, Holy Spirit said to you tonight, 733 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,740 "I want you to liquidate your savings account completely 734 00:32:09,740 --> 00:32:10,760 and I want you to give it away. 735 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:11,820 In fact, I want you to come lay it 736 00:32:11,820 --> 00:32:13,720 at the apostles' feet of Springhouse." 737 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:15,500 How does that hit you? 738 00:32:15,500 --> 00:32:17,800 Immediately, how does that hit you in your mind? 739 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:19,280 Is it a gut check? 740 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,780 Does it go, "Oh yeah, I'm good with it?" 741 00:32:21,780 --> 00:32:24,680 Some of you said, "There'd be an audible voice." 742 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,560 (congregation laughing) 743 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:28,600 Right? 744 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:29,780 Come on, being real. 745 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,600 Some of you wake up and the very first thing you check 746 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:35,640 is the stock market. 747 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:42,280 Some of you wake up and the first thing on your mind is, 748 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,080 what does my bank account look like? 749 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:49,600 Some of us work so hard every day 750 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:51,300 to make sure we're holding on to everything. 751 00:32:51,300 --> 00:32:53,520 Some of us did not have fathers and mothers 752 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:54,800 who gave us a whole lot. 753 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:56,840 And so our life, we have been cursed 754 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,800 with just trying to accumulate, accumulate, accumulate, 755 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:01,020 and stock and stock and stock and store. 756 00:33:01,740 --> 00:33:06,020 And it is all bathed in fear. 757 00:33:06,020 --> 00:33:07,580 Not trust, fear. 758 00:33:07,580 --> 00:33:09,740 Fear is the culprit when it comes to holding on 759 00:33:09,740 --> 00:33:11,980 too tightly to stuff or money. 760 00:33:11,980 --> 00:33:14,980 Now I don't have a problem with people 761 00:33:14,980 --> 00:33:17,340 having big bank accounts. 762 00:33:17,340 --> 00:33:19,340 What I have a problem is, is when we're not obedient 763 00:33:19,340 --> 00:33:20,740 to the Holy Spirit. 764 00:33:20,740 --> 00:33:22,580 What I have a problem with, because here's the thing, 765 00:33:22,580 --> 00:33:24,740 if you think more about your money, your income, 766 00:33:24,740 --> 00:33:27,140 your 401k, that stock market, all of those things, 767 00:33:27,140 --> 00:33:30,140 if you think more about that, it is an idol in your life. 768 00:33:30,140 --> 00:33:31,580 God says destroy the idols. 769 00:33:31,580 --> 00:33:32,680 I don't know another way to destroy it, 770 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:33,820 but then get rid of it. 771 00:33:33,820 --> 00:33:35,660 To get rid of it. 772 00:33:35,660 --> 00:33:44,460 God wants us to live a full, abundant life. 773 00:33:44,460 --> 00:33:47,860 That does not mean rich by the world standards. 774 00:33:47,860 --> 00:33:51,780 It does not mean rich by the world standards. 775 00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:53,100 This is what the word says in Matthew. 776 00:33:53,100 --> 00:33:54,100 Jesus is speaking here. 777 00:33:54,100 --> 00:33:56,420 No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one 778 00:33:56,420 --> 00:33:58,300 or love the other, or he will be devoted to one 779 00:33:58,300 --> 00:33:59,140 and despise the other. 780 00:33:59,140 --> 00:34:01,060 You cannot serve God and money. 781 00:34:01,060 --> 00:34:02,700 And some people think they are. 782 00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:05,060 Have you ever looked at somebody and you're like, 783 00:34:05,060 --> 00:34:07,180 that is the least generous person I've ever met 784 00:34:07,180 --> 00:34:10,720 and they seem so rich. 785 00:34:10,720 --> 00:34:12,420 You know what God says? 786 00:34:12,420 --> 00:34:13,260 Well, yeah, they are rich. 787 00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:15,060 They don't give any of their stuff away. 788 00:34:15,060 --> 00:34:16,700 (laughs) 789 00:34:16,700 --> 00:34:18,900 And he says, they're headed to destruction. 790 00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:20,900 Pray for them. 791 00:34:20,900 --> 00:34:27,340 God is the best giver. 792 00:34:27,340 --> 00:34:29,980 And in fact, we all had a problem. 793 00:34:29,980 --> 00:34:32,640 And his answer to that problem, 794 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,300 God so loved the world that he did what, church? 795 00:34:35,300 --> 00:34:37,140 He gave. 796 00:34:37,140 --> 00:34:39,760 He gave. 797 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,240 We had a problem, so God loved. 798 00:34:43,240 --> 00:34:44,080 Yeah, he loved. 799 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:46,960 We had a problem, so God showed up. 800 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:47,860 Yeah, he shows up. 801 00:34:47,860 --> 00:34:51,160 No, his action point was he gave. 802 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,060 He gave. 803 00:34:53,060 --> 00:34:55,820 Giving is a big, it's a big deal. 804 00:34:57,180 --> 00:34:58,020 It's a big deal. 805 00:34:58,020 --> 00:35:01,480 God is our source and he is our provider. 806 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:07,520 Number two, your integrity matters. 807 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:11,700 Your integrity actually matters. 808 00:35:11,700 --> 00:35:15,380 And here's the problem that I found in my experience. 809 00:35:15,380 --> 00:35:18,400 Sometimes we lie more to ourselves than we lie to others. 810 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:23,360 We justify in our mind, in our heart and our spirit 811 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,420 that what we're doing is fine, it's okay. 812 00:35:25,420 --> 00:35:27,780 We dismiss the things that we're getting convicted about 813 00:35:27,780 --> 00:35:29,180 because we don't wanna have to entertain them 814 00:35:29,180 --> 00:35:32,900 and we lie to ourselves. 815 00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:36,740 And we order our lives based on that lie. 816 00:35:36,740 --> 00:35:39,780 I was buying a pair of shoes and some clothes 817 00:35:39,780 --> 00:35:43,260 in a store several years ago. 818 00:35:43,260 --> 00:35:45,560 And I walked in and I had some coupons 819 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,280 because I don't like to pay full price. 820 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:52,860 So I've used the coupons and it was so much less expensive 821 00:35:52,860 --> 00:35:53,820 than I thought it was gonna be. 822 00:35:53,820 --> 00:35:55,340 It was a glorious moment. 823 00:35:55,340 --> 00:35:58,180 And I took those shirts and those shoes 824 00:35:58,180 --> 00:35:59,920 and I almost went back in to get more 825 00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:01,980 because I was like, I expected to spend more 826 00:36:01,980 --> 00:36:03,700 than I spend on this. 827 00:36:03,700 --> 00:36:06,200 I get to my car and I look at the receipt 828 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,520 and the lady forgot to ring up the shoes. 829 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:12,380 So I took those shoes back in there and I put them down 830 00:36:12,380 --> 00:36:13,780 and I said, "Ma'am, I am so sorry. 831 00:36:13,780 --> 00:36:15,320 "You forgot to ring these shoes up." 832 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,020 And she looked at me and she said, 833 00:36:17,020 --> 00:36:19,820 "Don't worry about it, it's okay." 834 00:36:19,820 --> 00:36:23,300 And I said, "Thank you." 835 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:27,960 No, I said, I said, "No, I'm so sorry. 836 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:29,720 "I really do need to pay. 837 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:32,380 "I really do need to pay for these." 838 00:36:32,380 --> 00:36:34,260 You see, many of us would have said thank you 839 00:36:34,260 --> 00:36:35,620 and said that was the Lord. 840 00:36:35,620 --> 00:36:38,980 I said, "Thank you, but no, thank you. 841 00:36:38,980 --> 00:36:40,940 "I really do need to pay for these." 842 00:36:40,940 --> 00:36:42,660 And she said, "Really, it's okay. 843 00:36:42,660 --> 00:36:43,980 "The manager's not here. 844 00:36:43,980 --> 00:36:46,140 "I just forgot to ring them up, it's on me." 845 00:36:46,140 --> 00:36:49,300 And then I was forced to say, 846 00:36:49,300 --> 00:36:52,240 "I'm a believer in Jesus Christ 847 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:53,700 "and I can't walk out of here. 848 00:36:53,700 --> 00:36:55,700 "I feel like I'd be stealing." 849 00:36:55,700 --> 00:36:57,760 And she took those shoes and she rang them up 850 00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,040 and at the end as she put them in my bag, 851 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:00,500 she looked me in my eye and said, 852 00:37:00,500 --> 00:37:03,620 "I have never had a Christian do that before." 853 00:37:03,620 --> 00:37:11,980 When we compromise our integrity, we ruin our witness. 854 00:37:11,980 --> 00:37:17,860 When we compromise our integrity, we ruin our witness. 855 00:37:17,860 --> 00:37:22,860 When we compromise our integrity, we ruin our witness. 856 00:37:22,860 --> 00:37:25,740 Your integrity matters. 857 00:37:25,740 --> 00:37:28,500 This is what Proverbs says, chapter 12. 858 00:37:28,500 --> 00:37:31,740 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, 859 00:37:31,740 --> 00:37:34,300 but those who act faithfully are his delight. 860 00:37:34,300 --> 00:37:37,020 Guys, we want to be his delight. 861 00:37:37,020 --> 00:37:40,580 We want to be his delight. 862 00:37:40,580 --> 00:37:44,660 What you say and what you do, it matters. 863 00:37:44,660 --> 00:37:48,160 You need to pay for that streaming service. 864 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,500 (congregation laughing) 865 00:37:51,500 --> 00:37:55,100 You need to stop sneaking in candy 866 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:57,760 and Coke's to the movie theater. 867 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,100 (congregation groaning) 868 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:06,280 Should I keep going? 869 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:07,100 (congregation laughing) 870 00:38:07,100 --> 00:38:07,940 'Cause I can. 871 00:38:07,940 --> 00:38:09,780 (congregation laughing) 872 00:38:09,780 --> 00:38:14,380 Listen, some of you are robbing your businesses 873 00:38:14,380 --> 00:38:17,560 and putting it in your own personal bank accounts. 874 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,720 We had coaches at the school, this was forever ago. 875 00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:23,360 They would coach football and basketball 876 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:24,800 and stuff like that, and they would get done 877 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:26,500 with their practice, worked long days, granted. 878 00:38:26,500 --> 00:38:28,120 They worked long days, 12 hour days, 879 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:30,040 and they would come in and we used to have Coke products 880 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:31,900 sitting out and they would just go grab a Coke and walk out 881 00:38:31,900 --> 00:38:33,640 and after about three or four months, 882 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:36,500 we confronted them saying, "Hey, you can't just go in 883 00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:38,800 and steal," and they said, "Oh, well, we're working so hard. 884 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,100 We might as well, we felt like it would be okay." 885 00:38:41,100 --> 00:38:42,240 No, that's stealing. 886 00:38:42,300 --> 00:38:47,300 Your integrity, it matters. 887 00:38:47,300 --> 00:38:51,680 It really does matter. 888 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:53,920 In Luke 16, it says, "Be faithful in the small things 889 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,420 and He will trust you with greater things." 890 00:38:56,420 --> 00:39:01,360 Third point, the church is very important to God. 891 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:03,720 The church is very important to God. 892 00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:08,300 Guys, the church is, listen to me, the church is serious. 893 00:39:08,300 --> 00:39:11,200 This is not just a club hangout time. 894 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,200 You know what the word says that God sees His church as? 895 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:19,600 His church is His bride and we are also His children. 896 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,840 If there's any way that you wanna get my feathers ruffled, 897 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,780 mess with my wife and mess with my kids. 898 00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:27,540 And if that's me in my response, 899 00:39:27,540 --> 00:39:29,940 you can only imagine how God responds 900 00:39:29,940 --> 00:39:33,440 when people mess with His bride and His kids. 901 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,720 Ananias and Sapphira are coming in to wreak havoc 902 00:39:36,720 --> 00:39:39,820 in a place that they were not meant to wreak havoc to 903 00:39:39,820 --> 00:39:41,120 and God said, "You're not gonna mess 904 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:42,660 with my bride and my kids." 905 00:39:42,660 --> 00:39:49,360 And so we must be careful about the motivations of our hearts 906 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,660 when especially when it comes to His church 907 00:39:52,660 --> 00:39:54,500 and His Holy Spirit. 908 00:39:54,500 --> 00:39:58,340 1 Corinthians, Paul, he's talking about communion. 909 00:39:58,340 --> 00:40:00,340 He says there are people who have defiled 910 00:40:00,340 --> 00:40:01,840 the communion table and you know what 911 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:03,140 he's bold enough to say? 912 00:40:03,140 --> 00:40:05,880 He says the reason there are people who are sick 913 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:07,940 and the reason there are people who are dying 914 00:40:07,940 --> 00:40:10,980 is because you are messing around with the communion. 915 00:40:10,980 --> 00:40:14,380 Not, oh, maybe it's this, go get a medical. 916 00:40:14,380 --> 00:40:16,920 No, the reason is because you're messing with God. 917 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:20,060 He is holy. 918 00:40:20,060 --> 00:40:21,360 He is holy. 919 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:25,740 Ananias and Sapphira try to get away with something 920 00:40:25,740 --> 00:40:28,200 that God's not gonna let them get away with. 921 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:34,100 And so they get called out. 922 00:40:35,340 --> 00:40:39,540 You need leaders who are willing to say the hard things. 923 00:40:39,540 --> 00:40:42,920 You need to be a part of a church, a community 924 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:45,820 where you have leaders able to say this is sin 925 00:40:45,820 --> 00:40:47,480 and this is not. 926 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,520 You need to be, remember a few weeks ago 927 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:51,600 we talked about body builds up the body. 928 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:53,400 We need to be in close enough relationship 929 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:55,060 where you can be with a friend and say, 930 00:40:55,060 --> 00:40:56,300 "Hey, iron sharpens iron. 931 00:40:56,300 --> 00:40:58,860 I don't think that this is right what you're doing." 932 00:40:58,860 --> 00:41:04,500 Even to the point of losing relationships. 933 00:41:04,500 --> 00:41:06,900 I've lost relationships because I've called somebody out 934 00:41:06,900 --> 00:41:08,040 on something real dumb. 935 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:12,640 You're not gonna tell me what to do. 936 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:13,480 Who are you? 937 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:15,240 That's so dumb. 938 00:41:15,240 --> 00:41:16,520 Don't call me out on that. 939 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:20,120 I love you. 940 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:21,320 I actually love you. 941 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:35,800 Your unrepentant sin will poison your entire family. 942 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,600 I find it interesting that Sephira, 943 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:40,400 well, Sephira is running late. 944 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:42,240 That's kind of funny. 945 00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:45,980 Sephira is running late and she gets there 946 00:41:45,980 --> 00:41:47,640 and she has no idea. 947 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:51,120 She has no idea what's taking place. 948 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:54,380 She gets in there and she's questioned 949 00:41:54,380 --> 00:41:59,060 the same way as Ananias and the same penalty as do her. 950 00:41:59,060 --> 00:42:01,620 Let me talk to the dads and the fathers, 951 00:42:01,620 --> 00:42:02,960 the men in the room for just a minute 952 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:04,500 as covering of your household. 953 00:42:04,500 --> 00:42:09,700 Some of you are announcing every day proudly to your family 954 00:42:09,700 --> 00:42:11,540 that you are a Christian, that you are a believer, 955 00:42:11,540 --> 00:42:12,780 that you're following the Lord, 956 00:42:12,780 --> 00:42:14,500 but you are compromising in small areas 957 00:42:14,500 --> 00:42:15,980 that your children are seeing. 958 00:42:15,980 --> 00:42:17,680 And you think it's not a big deal, 959 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,580 this little bits of integrity that you're chomping off of 960 00:42:20,580 --> 00:42:21,520 and the things that they're seeing. 961 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:22,920 It's not really a big deal. 962 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:24,280 But here's the thing. 963 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:26,580 When you pull out the scope of your life 964 00:42:26,580 --> 00:42:28,660 and you realize your life isn't just about you 965 00:42:28,660 --> 00:42:31,560 and it's so much bigger and larger and longer, 966 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:33,060 than your life here on earth, 967 00:42:33,060 --> 00:42:36,160 you realize that the sin that you have going on 968 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:39,360 that you did not address will cause issues to your children 969 00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,000 and to your children's children and your children's children 970 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,840 because they are watching the pattern. 971 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,840 They are watching and they are building off of the pattern. 972 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:49,840 So if you say that you love your family, 973 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:51,780 start taking care of issues. 974 00:42:51,780 --> 00:42:53,280 You wanna say that you're a man? 975 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:55,280 Rise up and be a man and get down in the altar 976 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:57,220 and start surrendering those places 977 00:42:57,220 --> 00:42:58,660 that are hard to surrender. 978 00:42:58,660 --> 00:43:00,480 Start being vulnerable with your wife 979 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:01,420 and the people around you and say, 980 00:43:01,420 --> 00:43:02,780 hey, I'm struggling in this area. 981 00:43:02,780 --> 00:43:04,620 I need you to call me out in this area 982 00:43:04,620 --> 00:43:06,720 because I love you and my kids so much 983 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:08,460 that I don't want this to continue. 984 00:43:08,460 --> 00:43:15,360 He calls us to be a holy people. 985 00:43:15,360 --> 00:43:17,360 Yes, are we supposed to have full abundant lives? 986 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:21,200 Absolutely, but the call is to a call of holiness 987 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:24,940 so that we can look like Jesus. 988 00:43:24,940 --> 00:43:26,880 And here's the crux of the message today. 989 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:28,220 This is right, what I'm about to say 990 00:43:28,220 --> 00:43:30,780 is what I want you to leave with right here. 991 00:43:30,780 --> 00:43:32,880 After everything that's happened, 992 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:36,820 Barnabas sells his land, Ananias and Sapphira, 993 00:43:36,820 --> 00:43:38,460 they drop dead in the middle of church. 994 00:43:38,460 --> 00:43:41,700 Guys, if that happened here, two people drop dead, 995 00:43:41,700 --> 00:43:44,360 we will go right into damage control. 996 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,180 We go right into, I'd be like, okay, 997 00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:49,540 we need you all to not tell this story to anybody 998 00:43:49,540 --> 00:43:52,880 because we want people to still come back to this church. 999 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,680 When they're Googling, they'd be like, Springhouse Church, 1000 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:59,280 two people died last week, not going there, okay? 1001 00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:01,640 We would be calling the police and getting a police report, 1002 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,120 we try to tell them it was the Holy Spirit, 1003 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:04,160 we'll see how that goes. 1004 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:09,160 I mean, it's damage control. 1005 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:12,560 And here's the thing, they drop dead 1006 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:13,840 and this is what the scripture says 1007 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,440 if you continue to read in verse 13, it says, 1008 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:20,500 none of the rest dared join them, go figure. 1009 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:25,920 Listen, but the people held them in high esteem. 1010 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:27,460 Now listen to this, this is the crux, 1011 00:44:27,460 --> 00:44:29,960 this right here is what I want you to understand. 1012 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:35,280 Isn't it a shadow on the mercy and the goodness of God 1013 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:37,320 that he would allow two people to drop dead 1014 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:38,160 because of their sin? 1015 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,140 Where's his infinite grace and mercy and all these things? 1016 00:44:41,140 --> 00:44:43,400 This is what it says in verse 14. 1017 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:47,720 Understand, understand, Pentecost 3,000, 1018 00:44:47,720 --> 00:44:51,160 the gate beautiful 5,000, there's thousands of people 1019 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:54,260 a part of this church, thousands, okay? 1020 00:44:54,260 --> 00:44:58,260 At this point, at this point in time, verse 14 says this, 1021 00:44:58,260 --> 00:45:03,260 and more than ever, and more than ever, 1022 00:45:03,260 --> 00:45:09,560 and more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, 1023 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,200 multitudes of them, both men and women. 1024 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:16,680 In other words, it wasn't a fall festival 1025 00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:18,360 that drew people to the church. 1026 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:20,640 It wasn't programming and great lights 1027 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:23,860 and great musicians that drew people to the kingdom. 1028 00:45:23,860 --> 00:45:26,540 It was the purification of the saints. 1029 00:45:26,540 --> 00:45:30,320 It was the fact that two people came in in sin 1030 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:32,500 and they had to pay the price for their sin 1031 00:45:32,500 --> 00:45:34,000 because they were willing to mess 1032 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:35,040 with the Holy Spirit of God. 1033 00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:37,680 Imagine church, if we would clean up our lives, 1034 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:39,520 if we would surrender our lives, 1035 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:42,240 if we would be generous like the first thing church, 1036 00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:44,360 and love and purify our hearts, 1037 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:46,720 he who knew a mighty thing and multitudes 1038 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:51,680 would be coming to the kingdom more than ever. 1039 00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:53,560 More than ever. 1040 00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:56,540 Let's not be a hypocritical church, 1041 00:45:56,540 --> 00:46:00,560 though we're filled with hypocrites, right? 1042 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:04,340 The call is a call to holiness. 1043 00:46:04,340 --> 00:46:05,860 We don't like it. 1044 00:46:05,860 --> 00:46:09,280 Doesn't feel good because I've got crap in my life 1045 00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:10,620 I've got to clean up. 1046 00:46:10,620 --> 00:46:12,080 That means that as your pastor, 1047 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:14,360 I've got to get down here on my knees. 1048 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:15,640 Every day I got to wake up and say, 1049 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:18,120 I'm gonna pick up my cross and follow him. 1050 00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:21,720 I've got to stop dealing with my pride. 1051 00:46:21,720 --> 00:46:25,260 I got to address the things going on in my head, 1052 00:46:25,260 --> 00:46:27,040 those thoughts, it's a daily battle. 1053 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,120 But guys, if I'm so worried about what's happening 1054 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,400 three weeks from now, what's happening in my bank account, 1055 00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:34,120 I don't have the capacity to deal with my issues. 1056 00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:38,280 That's why we were promised today right now. 1057 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:41,760 And you can leave here different than when you came, 1058 00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:43,840 but it's up to you. 1059 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:45,840 (gentle music) 1060 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:47,580 But I encourage you stop lying to yourself 1061 00:46:47,580 --> 00:46:50,400 and definitely don't be lying to the Holy Spirit. 1062 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:53,560 He is a holy, holy God. 1063 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:55,200 Stand with me church, we're gonna worship. 1064 00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:57,500 Here's the call today. 1065 00:46:57,500 --> 00:46:58,860 We're not gonna have the people come down 1066 00:46:58,860 --> 00:47:00,480 to pray for people. 1067 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:01,960 And I'm gonna make this very short and sweet. 1068 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:02,920 If you need to surrender, 1069 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:05,680 get down in the altar space and worship, let's worship. 1070 00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:08,260 (gentle music) 1071 00:47:08,260 --> 00:47:10,260 [music fades out]