God’s co:mission recognizes that testing God brings trouble...

This week, we are looking at a troubling and disconcerting story that is recorded for us in the Book of Acts. Yesterday, we looked on as God took out a man named Ananias for lying. We questioned how this story lines up with the grace and mercy of God and the church being the vehicle to reveal and reflect Jesus. We wondered if there was something bigger going on here in this story that we are just not seeing. Today, as the story continues, we see the tension of these questions only increase as Sapphira arrives on the scene in verses 7-8:

Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 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."

Three hours later, Sapphira shows up to meet with Peter and the other leaders of the church. She has no idea what has happened to her husband and wonders where he is at. Peter responds to Sapphira’s questions by asking her about the land that had been sold. Peter wanted to understand whether Ananias was acting alone in his attempt to deceive, or if Sapphira was a willing participant in the plan. Sapphira, having no idea of what happened to her husband, followed the plan that they had concocted to deceive the church to think that they were more generous and spiritual than they were. While Peter gave Sapphira the opportunity to tell the truth; while Peter gave Sapphira the opportunity come clean, Sapphira instead chose to stick with the story. Peter, after giving Sapphira the opportunity to tell her story, proceeds to ask a question. And it is in Peter’s question that provides us answers to many of the questions that this story provokes. We see Peter’s question in verse 9:

Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?

This question, if asked in the language we use in our culture today, would sound something like this: “Why would you two agree to test the nature and character of the Spirit of the Lord? Do you think that you could deceive God and get away with it? Did you both actually agree to deceive God thinking that God would just look the other way and ignore it?” You see, Ananias and Sapphira presumed that God would simply tolerate their selfish and rebellious attempt to deceive the church. Ananias and Sapphira wondered whether or not God would really notice the sin and whether or not God really cared enough about their sin to punish their sin. The couple wanted to test the limits of how far they could push when it came to selfishness and rebellion before God pushed back.

How often can we find ourselves acting like Ananias and Sapphira? How often do we presume that God will just tolerate our selfishness and rebellion? How often do we find ourselves acting like God doesn’t notice, or doesn’t care enough about our sin to punish our sin? How often can we find ourselves pushing the limits of how far we can go when it comes to selfishness and rebellion before God will push back? Well, God pushed back, as we see in the second half of verse 9:

Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." 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. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

God pushed back by taking Sapphira out. Luke records that the young men returned from burying her husband, only to find her dead, which meant another trip to the cemetery to bury Sapphira by her husband. This story is one of the most troubling and disconcerting stories in the Bible. For followers of Jesus, it is troubling and disconcerting to think that God took out someone for lying. And at first glance, God’s response here seems harsh. And at first glance, this story does not seem to make sense. This story does not seem fit the story of Jesus and the co-mission we have been given. The story of Jesus coming to bring grace and forgiveness. The story of the mission of God partnering with and using the church as the vehicle to reveal and reflect Jesus to the world.

But the reason that this story does fit the story of Jesus and the co-mission we have been given is exactly because of the co-mission we have been given. You see, at this point in God’s story, this new community called the church was only months old. This new community was to be the vehicle that He would use to reveal Himself and His message of rescue through the gospel to the world. And for the first time, something had entered into this new community that threatened the community from revealing and reflecting Christ. And God responded to this first threat to the new community called the church by providing a shocking and stunning example in order to grab our attention and provide a timeless principle. A timeless principle that is necessary to embrace in order to fully engage in the co-mission that we have been given by God to partner with God in a way that advances God’s kingdom mission as we reveal and reflect Christ to those around us.

And that timeless principle is that God’s co:mission recognizes that testing God brings trouble. You see, you can pull the wool over your pastor’s eyes; you can pull the wool over your community groups eyes; you can pull the wool you’re your families eyes; you can pull the wool over your friends eyes; but you cannot pull the wool over God’s eyes. The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 6:7, relayed this principle this way: Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. God wanted the members of this new movement called the church, and followers of Jesus throughout history to clearly understand that testing God brings trouble. So God provided a shocking and stunning example to grab their attention. We see how this example grabbed their attention as the story concludes:

And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

As those in Jerusalem and the region around Jerusalem heard what had happened to Ananias and Sapphira, both followers of Jesus and those who were not followers of Jesus were gripped with fear and anxiety. They were gripped with fear because God gave the world a shocking example to serve as a reminder. A reminder that the church has been divinely designed to be a community of faith that is striving to reveal and reflect His Son Jesus. A reminder that God takes the reputation of the church and the mission that it has been given very seriously. A reminder that while God is full of Grace He is also full of truth. A reminder that while God extends grace and forgives when it comes to sin God is still holy and just and still hates sin. A reminder that while grace is free, it is not cheap; it cost the life of His Son. A reminder that there comes a point that when we decide to push the limits when it comes to how far we can go when it comes to selfishness and rebellion, that God will push back.

So are you testing God? Are you presuming that God will just tolerate your selfishness and rebellion? Are you acting like God doesn’t notice, or doesn’t care enough about your sin to punish your sin? Are you pushing the limits of how far you can go when it comes to selfishness and rebellion before God will push back?