"The After Party" is our series at Fusion Christian Church on the book of Acts. Follow along as we explore what happened to the church after Jesus ascended to heaven. In this sermon, Pastor Zac teaches why we need to have right motives.

Ananias and Sapphira

In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira sell property and donate a portion of the money to the church. Ordinarily, this would be an honorable thing to do, but the couple lied about their contribution. They had every right to donate only some of the money, but they told the church that they gave the entire amount. Their motivation was to appear more generous than they really were. God is not fooled by this display, and he strikes both husband and wife dead on the spot.

Let God be your motive, not the recognition.

By lying to the church, Ananias and Sapphira were essentially lying to God. They did this because they desired the praise and approval of men more than the approval of God. If they desired to please God, they would have been honest about the amount donated. When you do good deeds, is it to be seen by men or by God? If you seek the praise of other people, Jesus said that will be your only reward. If you seek to please God, not caring about human attention, your reward will be in heaven.

Let truth be your motive, not lies.

Some people struggle greatly with telling the truth. The bible emphasizes the importance of truth and honesty all over the place. For the Christian, therefore, honesty should be a life goal. To walk in the truth is God's desire for us, because God is truth. How can you become a more honest person in your daily life? What would it look like to live in the truth?