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Canoe Creek
Spiritual Integrity
The story of Ananias and Sapphira can cause some uncertainty about the grace of God and uncertainty about our own integrity. But having and pursuing integrity does not mean we are perfect. It means we are undivided in our beliefs and actions.
Locations & Times
Canoe Creek Christian Church (Main Campus)
4080 Pine Tree Dr, St Cloud, FL 34772, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
There are many stories of people being divided and it leading to destruction.
Wu Sangui was a Chinese military general who opened a gate to the great wall to let the opposing army in. He later betrayed the opposing army as well.
In 1876 Custer led 647 men of the 7th Cavalry against the Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes led by Crazy Horse at Little Big Horn. Among the reasons of his defeat was dividing his forces.
The story of Ananias and Sappharia is about integrity. It is a story about how their beliefs were divided from their actions.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time…and you can’t fool the Holy Spirit anytime.
Wu Sangui was a Chinese military general who opened a gate to the great wall to let the opposing army in. He later betrayed the opposing army as well.
In 1876 Custer led 647 men of the 7th Cavalry against the Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes led by Crazy Horse at Little Big Horn. Among the reasons of his defeat was dividing his forces.
The story of Ananias and Sappharia is about integrity. It is a story about how their beliefs were divided from their actions.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time…and you can’t fool the Holy Spirit anytime.
Luke records excellent contrast by giving the story of Barnabas prior to this account.
When it is all summed up what we learn is that Ananias and Sapphira were trying to pretend to be believers. They wanted the recognition of being generous participants of their communal community of Christians without being committed to them completely and in full belief.
This could lead to them taking advantage of the community. Leveraging personal power in the community. Laying and deceiving the community about other things.
The idea of lacking spiritual integrity is partially in view when Jesus made this statement recoded by Matthew 15:8-97 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
The text before this story revealed that all the believers were of "one heart and mind," and that "God’s grace was at work in them." Their desire to give was evidence of their belief and commitment. Based on this context and the following story, Ananias and Sapphira, were not believers.
With envy, they desired the communal lifestyle and the recognition that came with being big givers, without the actual commitment.
What do we learn?
When it is all summed up what we learn is that Ananias and Sapphira were trying to pretend to be believers. They wanted the recognition of being generous participants of their communal community of Christians without being committed to them completely and in full belief.
This could lead to them taking advantage of the community. Leveraging personal power in the community. Laying and deceiving the community about other things.
The idea of lacking spiritual integrity is partially in view when Jesus made this statement recoded by Matthew 15:8-97 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
The text before this story revealed that all the believers were of "one heart and mind," and that "God’s grace was at work in them." Their desire to give was evidence of their belief and commitment. Based on this context and the following story, Ananias and Sapphira, were not believers.
With envy, they desired the communal lifestyle and the recognition that came with being big givers, without the actual commitment.
What do we learn?
Money is a source of power in every culture
We sacrifice because we learn of how God has sacrificed for us.
Giving helps us keep a broader perspective of our financial obligations.
“Black Friday” is now on google calendar as a holiday. Money can control us. Learning to be generous is a discipline to loosen the grip of that control.
We see money and the ability to make it and use it wisely is a gift from God. Just some wise advice, never compromise the roof over your head, the means to get to work, and have food. Never pay the extra debt until the rent is paid!
We are reminded that it's all going to burn, but our relationship with God and the lives we impact have an eternal value.
We sacrifice because we learn of how God has sacrificed for us.
Giving helps us keep a broader perspective of our financial obligations.
“Black Friday” is now on google calendar as a holiday. Money can control us. Learning to be generous is a discipline to loosen the grip of that control.
We see money and the ability to make it and use it wisely is a gift from God. Just some wise advice, never compromise the roof over your head, the means to get to work, and have food. Never pay the extra debt until the rent is paid!
We are reminded that it's all going to burn, but our relationship with God and the lives we impact have an eternal value.
God’s Grace appears conflicted or lacking
It is not! His grace is focused on His Church and the people committed to Him. He will defend the image of His Church without measure.
He was also protecting the people of the Church that were of one heart and mind. They were true believers and God did not want them taken advantage of.
Look at how Jesus was compassionate to sinners and harsh with hypocrites.
Woman caught in adultery.
Woman at the well married 5 times.
The liar and thief Zacchaeus was told that salvation had come to his home.
But to Hypocrites, He drove them out of the temple with a whip he made. He said you are snakes, a generation of vipers. You are like whitewashed tombs, you look good on the outside but you are filled with dead stinking corruption on the inside.
Integrity is bigger than doing the right thing when no one is looking.
It says they lied to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a divine person of God and is able to see everything we see and do, because He is living in someone who believes.
If integrity here means we never sin then we would have all dropped dead many times over. Integrity does not mean we are perfect.
Spiritual integrity is a desire for your beliefs and actions to be undivided.
Spiritual integrity is accepting the conviction of the Holy Spirit when sin enters in and desiring to not act that way again.
Ananias and Sapphira are not a story of christian people who made a sinful choice and were convicted of that sin. They are a story of people who's beliefs were divided from their actions.
Spiritual integrity is a desire for your beliefs and actions to be undivided.
It is not! His grace is focused on His Church and the people committed to Him. He will defend the image of His Church without measure.
He was also protecting the people of the Church that were of one heart and mind. They were true believers and God did not want them taken advantage of.
Look at how Jesus was compassionate to sinners and harsh with hypocrites.
Woman caught in adultery.
Woman at the well married 5 times.
The liar and thief Zacchaeus was told that salvation had come to his home.
But to Hypocrites, He drove them out of the temple with a whip he made. He said you are snakes, a generation of vipers. You are like whitewashed tombs, you look good on the outside but you are filled with dead stinking corruption on the inside.
Integrity is bigger than doing the right thing when no one is looking.
It says they lied to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a divine person of God and is able to see everything we see and do, because He is living in someone who believes.
If integrity here means we never sin then we would have all dropped dead many times over. Integrity does not mean we are perfect.
Spiritual integrity is a desire for your beliefs and actions to be undivided.
Spiritual integrity is accepting the conviction of the Holy Spirit when sin enters in and desiring to not act that way again.
Ananias and Sapphira are not a story of christian people who made a sinful choice and were convicted of that sin. They are a story of people who's beliefs were divided from their actions.
Spiritual integrity is a desire for your beliefs and actions to be undivided.
Do you put on a face and sing songs on Sunday while swearing and yelling in anger on Monday.
Do you take communion and celebrate God’s grace but hold onto bitterness.
Do you say you are going to pray for someone but have no real intention of doing so.
Do you try to appear generous and sacrificial when we really aren’t scarfing much.
Do you tell someone we are walking in purity but we secretly watch porn.
Do you appear to have a compassion and love for our spouse in public but treat him/her with indifference or scorn in private.
Is what you believe, divided from how you act?
1 Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
As you reflect on that verse it may take on a whole new meaning if you understand that David prayed this. Yes, David the adulating murderer.
Notice the word test. God is gracious to allow us to develop integrity. He knows that there are times when our convictions do not match our actions and He graciously gives us an opportunity to repent and continue to pursue spiritual integrity. We develop it over time as we consistently desire for our beliefs and actions to be undivided.
Do you take communion and celebrate God’s grace but hold onto bitterness.
Do you say you are going to pray for someone but have no real intention of doing so.
Do you try to appear generous and sacrificial when we really aren’t scarfing much.
Do you tell someone we are walking in purity but we secretly watch porn.
Do you appear to have a compassion and love for our spouse in public but treat him/her with indifference or scorn in private.
Is what you believe, divided from how you act?
1 Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
As you reflect on that verse it may take on a whole new meaning if you understand that David prayed this. Yes, David the adulating murderer.
Notice the word test. God is gracious to allow us to develop integrity. He knows that there are times when our convictions do not match our actions and He graciously gives us an opportunity to repent and continue to pursue spiritual integrity. We develop it over time as we consistently desire for our beliefs and actions to be undivided.