“DON’T LIE TO GOD!”

Season: Book of Acts
Episode 5: “Don’t Lie to God!”
Today’s Bible Bite: Acts 4:32-5:11

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQhkWmFJKnA (The Bible Project – Acts 1-7 – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-gUtHMUfsk (WEAG – Anania & Sapphira)

“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!’” (Acts 5:3-4, NLT)

The early Church grew quickly as people became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah through the disciples’ preaching and the miracles they performed. The new believers got busy not only learning about Jesus, but helping to meet needs. Barnabas sold a field and brought all the money to the Apostles to use to care for others and of course everyone appreciated his generosity. A couple named Ananias and Sapphira noticed how Barnabas’ generosity was approved of by the other believers and they wanted the others to think they were extra generous too.

But Ananias and Sapphira were not generous like Barnabas. Barnabas had given his gift because he wanted to help others. Ananias and Sapphira decided to give a gift because they wanted others to congratulate them on their generosity. So, they sold some land and gave some of the money to the Apostles; the problem was that they claimed they were giving all the money they received, when they actually kept some back. They lied. Not just to the other believers, but they also attempted to lie to God.

God didn’t have any issue with Ananias and Sapphira only giving some of the money—it was still an act of generosity. What God did not approve of was the lie; Ananias and Sapphira were putting on a show and pretending to be more generous than they actually were. They had wanted others to view them as super-Christians, but what they got was punished for lying to God.

Think about it...
• Both Barnabas and Ananias & Sapphira sold property and gave money to the church. What made Barnabas’ gift better?
• Ananias and Sapphira wanted other people to applaud them. How did they try and go about this?
• Giving only part of the money wasn’t the problem. Why did God punish them?
• Ananias and Sapphira died for their lie. How important is it for us to tell the truth?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, help me to always be truthful and not care so much about what other people think. Help me to always obey you and not do things for show. Help me be generous like Barnabas.