Thesis
True belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord frees us to love God and love others — not out of legal obligation, but out of genuine faith. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 serves as a sobering warning that God takes spiritual imposture seriously. When we act more spiritual than we truly are, seeking human praise rather than surrendering in authentic love, we are living out of Satan's oldest lie: that we cannot fully trust God. A heart genuinely transformed by grace will move toward generosity, community, and honesty — not because it has to, but because it wants to.
Key points
- 1
True believers are united in heart and mind, understanding that faith in Jesus joins us not only to God but to one another in shared purpose.
- 2
A transformed heart recognizes that what we own is not truly ours — we are stewards, not owners, freed to love people and use things rather than the reverse.
- 3
Ananias and Sapphira's sin was not failing to give everything, but pretending to give everything — acting more spiritual than they were in order to gain human praise.
- 4
Every act of spiritual imposture flows from the original lie: that we cannot fully trust God, so we must hold something back for ourselves.
- 5
Lying to the church is lying to the Holy Spirit — God is genuinely present, He is real, and He acts; confusing His patience with acceptance of sin is a dangerous error.
- 6
The fear of the Lord — awe mixed with intimacy — is the beginning of wisdom and is fully compatible with the comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
- 7
You can do the right thing for the wrong reason, and it is still wrong; God calls us to act from love, not to perform for the praise of others.
Outline
Introduction: Pretending and Its Limits
Pastor Bill opens with a story about his four-year-old grandson wrestling with the difference between pretending and lying, using it to introduce the idea that spiritual imposture — pretending to be more committed to Christ than we are — is something God takes deeply seriously.
Big Idea and Context in Acts
The sermon's big idea is stated: a transformed heart acts from love, not lies. Pastor Bill sets the scene in Acts, noting the early church is months old, already enormous, and navigating rapid growth and need.
United in Heart and Mind: What It Means to Be a Believer
Drawing from Acts 4:32, Pastor Bill unpacks what it truly means to be a believer — trusting Christ as the source of life, not just a resource — and how that unity of heart and mind should free us to love people, join community, and see our possessions as things to steward rather than own.
The Good Example: Barnabas
Barnabas is introduced as the positive example — a genuine encourager who believed in people, gave freely, and whose investment in others (including John Mark) bore lasting fruit for the kingdom.
The Bad Example: Ananias and Sapphira
Pastor Bill walks through Acts 5:1–11, explaining that Ananias and Sapphira's sin was not the amount they gave but the lie that it was everything — they wanted the praise of generosity without full surrender, listening to the lie that they couldn't fully trust God.
Three Ways We Treat the Holy Spirit's Presence
Pastor Bill identifies three postures toward the Holy Spirit seen in Ananias and Sapphira: not believing He is present at all, believing it theoretically but living otherwise, and believing He is real but assuming He won't actually do anything about our sin — warning that confusing God's patience with acceptance is a dangerous lie.
The Fear of the Lord: Awe Mixed with Intimacy
Pastor Bill reclaims the biblical concept of fearing God, arguing it is not abusive terror but awe mixed with intimacy — the deeper you know God's holiness and justice, the more you can be overwhelmed by His love and grace, and the two must be held together.
Illustration: Barry Bremen, the Great Impostor
The story of Barry Bremen — a man who repeatedly crashed major sporting events and award shows to bask in false glory — illustrates the futility and harm of pretending to be something you are not, and is contrasted with the Barnabas model of investing real effort in genuine calling.
Call to Decision and Closing Prayer
Pastor Bill closes by asking the congregation to honestly assess whether they are living as a 'Barry' or a 'Barnabas,' inviting them to stop playing games with their faith and to trust God fully, then leads in prayer.
Memorable moments
A transformed heart acts from love, not lies
Christ is the source of life, not just a resource for my life
when you become united to Jesus by faith, you become united to people by love
The world's way of living is we love things and we use people. It's supposed to be the other way around. We are called to love people and just use things
nobody can do as much damage to the church of God as the man who is within its walls but not within its life
don't confuse my patience with acceptance
Application
Pastor Bill calls everyone listening to ask an honest question: Am I a Barnabas or a Barry? Am I someone who genuinely loves people, gives freely, and shows up as the church — or am I performing spirituality to earn praise while holding back from real surrender? The first step is honesty: stop hiding behind a polished exterior and let people in community actually know you. The second is a change of foundation — stop treating grace as a license to stay the same, and start receiving it as the power to become something new. Real transformation means going all in with your time, talent, treasure, and testimony — not because you have to, but because you've understood how deeply God loves you and how seriously He takes the life He died to give you.
