April 12, 2026

Acts 5:1-11

Taking Seriously the Holiness of God

Sunday Sermons

The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 is one of the most perplexing and unsettling passages in the New Testament. Set against the backdrop of explosive growth and radical generosity in the early church, this tragic account exposes the dangers of giving the appearance of godliness over actual godliness.

Join Pastor Tommy as we explore what it means to live honestly before a holy God whose grace is more generous than we can imagine. Whether you’ve drifted into the exhausting patterns of spiritual pretending or lost your sense of awe before God, this passage is an invitation to step into the freedom that Christ offers to all who call on His name.

Speaker

Tommy Bailey

Series

Acts of the Apostles

Go to Series

Scripture

Acts 5:1-11

Topics
Growth & Discipleship Worldview & Culture

Sermon Notes

Acts 5:1-11

Taking Seriously the Holiness of God

Pastor Tommy Bailey

1. The Fruit of Great Grace (4:32-37)

“Grace overwhelms us with God’s love, and as a result our heart resonates with the desires of God. His purposes become our own. Our soul delights in his service as love for him and thanksgiving for his mercy make us long to honor him. True grace produces joy and promotes godliness.”
Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace

2. The Dangers of Great Deception (Acts 5:1-11)

Pious Pretending in the Bible:

…they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. (Matthew 6:5)
…love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts (Luke 20:46)
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice… (Hosea 6:6)

“At root, sin is not wrongdoing, it’s wrong adoring. Sin is riveting our hearts on any treasure or security that replaces the treasure and security we can only find in God.”
Tony Reinke

“No is a freedom word. I don’t have to do what either my glands or my culture tell me to do. The judicious, well-placed No frees us from many a blind alley, many a rough detour, frees us from debilitating distractions and seductive sacrilege. The art of saying No sets us free to follow Jesus.”
Eugene Peterson, Subversive Spirituality

“Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.”
Psalm 86:11

“Scripture never allows us to believe in a neutral, undirected, or unmotivated humanity. It requires us to admit that behind everything we do or say, we are pursuing something—some hope or dream or thing that we refuse to live without. There are things we value so much that we will willingly sacrifice other good things to get them. We will debase our humanity in order to deify the creation. The very things we seek to possess begin to possess us. We live for shadow glories and forget the only Glory that is worth living for.”
Paul Tripp, Lost in the Middle

3. The Holiness of a Great God (Acts 5:7-11)

“And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.”
Deuteronomy 6:24

“The fear of the LORD leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied…”
Proverbs 19:23

“Holiness is scary, but oh, that all of us would understand the grace, mercy and compassion that is borne by that same Man of holiness who says to people whom he makes uncomfortable, ‘Fear not! Peace be with you!’”
R. C. Sproul, A Walk with God

“To guard against all such blasphemous chumminess with the Almighty, the Bible talks of the fear of the Lord—not to scare us but to bring us to awesome attention before the overwhelming grandeur of God, to shut up our whining and chattering and stop our running and fidgeting so that we can really see him as he is and listen to him as he speaks his merciful, life-changing words of forgiveness.”
Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience In the Same Direction

“If you want to see what judgment looks like, go to the cross. If you want to see what love looks like, go to the cross.”
D.A. Carson

“Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.”
Psalm 86:11

Discussion Questions

  • Read the passage together: Before today’s sermon, what did you already know or believe about this passage? Did anything in your understanding shift after hearing the message?
  • Challenge and Reflection: Was there a part of today’s message that was particularly challenging or surprising for you? Why?
  • Unpacking the Message: Pick a quote from today’s sermon notes. Discuss what it means to you.
  • Personal Impact: What’s one specific way you feel called to change or grow after hearing this message?
  • Practical Application: What’s one step you can take this week to put today’s message into practice?
  • Connecting Scripture: Are there other Bible passages or stories this message reminds you of? How do they expand or confirm this teaching?
  • Gratitude: What aspect of God’s character stood out to you in today’s message? How does it inspire praise or gratitude?
  • Pray the Scripture: After hearing the message, is there a specific area where you feel led to pray? How can we pray for one another in light of today’s teaching?

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs:

“How Great Thou Art“ by Stuart Wesley Keene Hine
“’Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus“ by William J. Kirkpatrick, John Andrew Schreiner, and Louisa R. Stead
“O Great God“ by Bob Kauflin
“Come Thou Fount“ by Robert Robinson
“Grace Greater Than Our Sin“ by Julia H. Johnston
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used with permission. CCLI License no. 2003690

Looking for our Hymns of the Week or resources to worship anytime? We’ve curated a playlist of hymns TVC Worship has led on our YouTube Channel!

Call To Worship: At The Cross

All:
Most merciful God, thank You for sending to us Your Son, Jesus. We remember this day His redeeming death, that we might stand forgiven at the cross. Thank You for sending to us Your Son, Jesus, to whom we belong, in life and in death. He bore our infirmities and carried our sorrows. Most holy God, thank You for sending to us Your Son, Jesus, who became sin for us and suffered the punishment due to us, that we might stand forgiven at the cross.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.

Classic Prayer: Columbanus 543-615 AD

Grant to me, O Lord, I beseech You, in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, my God, that charity which never fails, that my lamp may know only how to burn, and never to be extinguished; that it may maintain life and shed its light on others around me. O Christ, our own sweetest Savior, vouchsafe to kindle our lamps, that they may ever burn brightly in Your temple, and receive never-failing light from You, the true never-failing light. That our darkness may be lightened, and the darkness of the world banished from around us. So communicate Your light, I ask You, my Jesus, to this lamp of mine, that by its light I may obtain a vision of that Holiest of Holies, into which You, the eternal High Priest, have forever entered, through the portals of your mighty temple, so that I may only see You, look to You, long after You, forever.

Confession of Sin:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You this day, in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved You with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name.
Grant to Your people pardon and peace, that in Your great mercy, we may be forgiven all our sins, and serve You with a quiet and contrite heart.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

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