The Ghost of Achan

Acts 5:1-16
The sin of Achaean brought disaster to the armies of Israel.
The Sin of Ananias and Sapphira could have stopped the Churches witnessing.

I: Fellowship at it’s Best:
1. “They went to their own.” Acts 4:23
2. Their only fear was the fear that they might fail.
3. Prayer together as a Church was their source of Power.
4. None said what he had was his own.
5. To them the Spiritual was supreme over the Material.
6. The Apostles were able to preach with Power because of the Spirituality of the Church.
7. The Word was preached with Power because it’s being lived by the Church.
8. Barnabas the Son of encouragement, gave money from land he had sold.

II: Fraud at it’s Worst:
1. The Perils without the Church could resist.
2. This was a far more dangerous attack.
3. Theirs was not the Sin of refusing to give.
4. It was the Sin of Lying about the amount they gave.
5. Jesus denounced Hypocrisy more than any Sin.
6. Ananias and Sapphira loved self more than Christ.
7. God spoke to Achaean and he spoke to these that would lie to the Church.

III: Fear and Growth:
1. This fear was felt by those outside the Church Fellowship.
a. When God controls a church, the World has respect for her.
b. Men would be afraid to join the Church carelessly.
c. The Church that has the discipline of Holiness need not fear plain joiners!
2. Fear was upon the Church Members.
a. No lying about Gifts.
b. No lying about Service.
c. No lying about Causes that kept from Service.
d. We need to see in our Church the Power of God so manifested that members would fear God.
3. Fear and Growth.
a. Yes people did join.
b. There was power in what they did.

“The Church is Pure in the Powerful Church!!!”