The Nest Egg That Hatched

The Nest Egg that Hatched Acts 5:1-11

INTRO.: My Grandmother kept chickens and she would put a plaster egg in the nests of her hens. She claimed it encouraged the hens to lay their eggs in the proper place. She also had an incubator, but she never put a nest egg in the incubator because she never expected it to hatch or be eaten. It was not for public consumption. No one knew it was there except her and the hen. A nest egg is an egg that isn’t used. That’s why we call it a "nest egg" when we put money aside to be used only in an emergency or for a special purpose.

Ananias and Sapphira put aside a nest egg and thought no one would ever know. Sadly, their nest egg hatched and it hatched out death. They were hypocrites and died a hypocrite’s death.

This was a crucial time in the history of the Church. Ananias and his wife could not be allowed to succeed in their deception. Outsiders would watch and be disillusioned by hypocrites in the Church. The credibility of the Apostles would be called into question. Critics would learn of the hypocrisy and the result might have been the end of the infant Church.

There are some serious lessons for us in this story. Let’s look at a few:

I. Here is a lesson on the righteousness of God’s people

A. The hypocrites stand in sharp contrast to God’s ideal:

1. God expects righteousness from His people.

2. The Church is God’s hope for redeeming mankind and, as such, its members should present an example of righteousness.

3. The Church has always been a mixture of good and bad, but we must strive to be better.

B. Their sin may have seemed small.

1. They didn’t audibly tell a lie as far as is recorded. Just let others assume they were giving their all.

2. Giving must have seemed a godly act to uninformed observers.

3. Some would think the good they did outweighed the deception.

4. Sometimes we are tempted to excuse some person’s sin because "he is one of our best givers."

C. Some may have thought their death to be a terrible loss to the Church:

1. But their sin was a threat to the very life of the Church.

2. To let the sin go unpunished would have done great damage to the reputation of the Church. No Church can grow with a bad reputation.

3. Instead, God used the incident to bless the Church. Vv. 12-14.

II. A lesson on the reality of God’s Presence:

A. Peter insisted it was God they sinned against. V. 4

1. They had allowed themselves to be used by the enemy. 3.

2. The tested the Spirit of the Lord. 9 He lived in the men to whom they lied.

3. It was not Peter or the apostles who punished them. It was God.

B. God is with His Church today, as well.

1. We are His temple. I Cor. 3:16

2. A sin against God’s people is a sin against God. All sin is against God.

3. Perhaps not as dramatically, but God will punish sin and reward good in His own time.

C. Often we forget God is with us today:

1. When Church leaders become so involved with methods and plans and forget to pray.

2. When we identify the Church with buildings, preachers, programs, etc.

3. When we live ungodly lives, forgetting He is in us.

4. When we minimize the importance of His Word in classrooms, homes, pulpits.

III. The reassurance of God’s power:

A. This incident inspired great confidence in God: 12-16

1. Hypocrites were warned off.

2. People honored the Church and its leaders.

3. Multitudes were won to Christ and added to the Church.

4. The Apostles gained a great audience through the signs and wonders they did.

B. We must realize God has the power to judge today.

1. Peter didn’t judge them. God did.

2. Interesting the people were even afraid to gossip about the event. Three hours later Sapphira didn’t know her husband had died.

3. It is a terrible fault to judge others and gossip about their sins.

C. God also has the power to protect His own:

1. Some Christians face persecution and death knowing God will take care of them.

2. These early Christians were not afraid of evil and persecution.

3. Sometimes we fear speaking to others about God because we might say something wrong or get into a situation we can’t handle. God can handle it.

4. Paul’s confidence: II Tim. 4:16-18

5. God has power, not only to judge, but to change hearts, heal the sick, and protect His people.

CONC.: Sin often seems to have its way in this fallen world, but God will triumph in the end.

God’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of righteousness. He is present to guide, judge, and defend His people in their times of deepest need. His power is sufficient and we should put our trust in Him.