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Ananias and Sapphira who deceived the Holy Spirit

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[Acts 5:3-4]

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?

Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

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Many people who heard Jesus' disciples teach the gospel to believe in Jesus as a savior. people who heard Peter's teachings repent of 3,000 people a day and believe in Jesus.

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The churches were built as the people who believed in Jesus gathered and lived together.

The first church to be built is the church in Jerusalem.

The Church of Jerusalem was an exemplary church that did its best to live as Jesus taught.

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People in the church helped the poor by selling their stuff.

Barnabas sold his field to help the poor.

The people praised him when Barnabas gave the money to the apostles

who had disposed of the field.

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There was a man named Ananias.

Ananias promised the apostles that he would also sell his fields

like Barnabas and devote all his money to use for the poor.

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Ananias sold his field as promised.

He returned home with the money he had sold the field.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira were greedy in their hearts when they saw the money.

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So they decided to hide some of the money that sold the field and

donate only a small amount of money.

Ananias and Sapphira did not keep their promise to give all of their money because

they thought no one knew how much money they sold their fields.

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Ananias had some of the money that sold the fields, pretending to be all,

and put them in front of the apostles.

Ananias thought that the apostles would be deceived because they did not know

that they had brought only part of the money.

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The Holy Spirit has made the Apostle Peter to know this.

Peter spoke to Ananias.

“Ananias! why have you been filled with the greed that Satan put into your heart? and did you deceive the Holy Spirit and bring only a fraction of the money you sold your field?“

The field was yours even before you sold it, and you could do it at your own discretion after you sold it.

Why did you think to deceive the Holy Spirit?

you are not deceiving person, but deceiving God.”

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As soon as Ananias heard it, he fell down and died.

He did not know that the sin of deceiving the Holy Spirit would be such a horrible result. People carried Ananias's body and went out.

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About three hours later, Anna's wife Sapphira appeared before the apostles.

Sapphira never knew what happened to her husband a moment ago.

Peter asked Sapphira. “Is it true that you and your husband Ananias

have given all of your money to God?”

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Sapphira also said, "Yes, it is." Peter told Sapphira.

“How dare you and your husband test the Holy Spirit of the Lord? Look!

The people who have buried your husband are still at the door, so they will go to your funeral soon.”

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When Peter's words ended, Sapphira fell down and died.

When Peter asked Sapphira, if she spoke honestly, she would not have died.

The young men who went out with her husband Ananias also carried out his wife Sapphira.

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The couple who tried to deceive the Holy Spirit died on the same day.

All the believers who have seen this sight have truly felt great fear.

They knew how frightening sin was to deceive the Holy Spirit.

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The death of Ananias and Sapphira is not only because it gave a portion of the money that sold his field.

It was punished for trying the Holy Spirit with a lie. they did not deceive the apostles, but died because they tried to deceive God.

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We should not test or lie to the Holy Spirit like Ananias and Sapphira.

Whatever we do, we must never forget that God knows everything.

We must be a Christian who speaks and acts with a sincere heart before God

who knows the minds of all people.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)