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Amen, all right keep your place there in Acts chapter 5 Interesting story in Acts chapter 5 we're gonna go through it this morning the story of Ananias and Sapphira this morning I want to talk to you about your motives and Why you do what you do a motive a motive? you know the definition of the word motive is the reason for doing something so Why do you do what you do and does it matter? Why you do what you do is what we're going to talk about this morning, we're going to talk about your motives We're going to talk about your motives for things like coming to church for spiritual things Motives in your life does God care what your motives are is the question okay now Ananias and Sapphira This is a story that many people Maybe don't fully understand in the Bible There's a lot of lessons that can be learned from this story But it's a it's a story that if you just read it on its face It seems a little harsh It seems that God you know came down pretty hard on this married couple in the early church And we're gonna look at it this morning to understand you know Ananias and Sapphira to start off this morning Let's turn back to Acts chapter 4 and get a little bit of context because remember You know if you're ever having a hard time read You know here's a Bible reading tip for you if you ever have any any a hard time understanding something that's in the Bible try to get the full context of the story if there's ever a verse or a Section of verses in the Bible that you don't understand go back and read 10 verses before maybe a chapter before Find out what's actually happening and many times that will explain the story to you. That's that's a big False false teachers do this all the time They'll grab one verse and then they'll just run with it in some weird direction Whereas many times most false doctrines that are that are doing that you can actually disprove that false doctrine Not by going to obscure parts of the Bible But by just reading a few verses before and a few verses after okay So let's get the context of what's happening in Acts chapter 5 by going back to Acts chapter 4 And all we have to do is look at a few verses Let's start reading at Acts 4 in verse number 34 and the Bible says this it says neither Was there any among them that lacked this is among them at the church. They're getting all these people saved They're adding unto the church daily the Bible says for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he needed as he need as he had need and In verse 36 and Joseph's who by the Apostles name apostles was surnamed Barnabas So this is Barnabas right here Which is being interpreted the son of consolation a Levite and in the country of Cyprus Having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet So here Barnabas and other people were selling lands Barnabas sold this land and he brought you know The price he brought all the money from his his land sale to the Apostles and gave it all to the church Okay, so there's so many lessons here and then you see Ananias and Sapphira. They sold their land They said they were giving all the money to the church, but they didn't and then God obviously slew them So there's so many lessons here The first lesson is and that's not what the sermon is about today is is that they just lied They didn't tell the truth They said they gave all the money and they didn't and they just they just lied and that's a sermon for another time We could use this story to preach that sermon as well But the second thing is if you think about you know, God Maybe he was too hard on Ananias and Sapphira and you know, what was what was the real? I mean, did he have to kill them for this, you know, but here's the thing And you need to remember this as save Christians. Okay, you are saved There's nothing that you're ever going to be able to do in your life on this earth that will make you unsafe That will that will where God would take that promise away from you Everlasting is everlasting eternal is eternal. God made you that promise. You've believed on Jesus You've trusted on Jesus alone for your salvation. You were saved in a moment. You're saved forever Okay, God cannot break that promise. God cannot lie. We are all liars Okay, we have all lied and we will all you know, hopefully not a lot but we will all probably continue to lie in our lives All right. Now God can't lie. So that's the promise that you have but God can take you home anytime he wants You know the chastisement of God is real is another very important lesson from this Sermon look at verse number 11 of Acts chapter 5 And This you know God was sending a message here with with these two people And the Bible says in Acts chapter 5 verse 11 and great fear came upon all the church and upon as many as heard these things So maybe you know, there was a situation in the church where the people weren't fearing the Lord like they should But great fear came upon the church and the fear was the fear of God That came upon them now most people today and this isn't what the sermon is about But most people today that you'll see your brothers and sisters in Christ Are gonna are missing chastisement of God in their life. There are things are happening in their life They don't understand why they're happening and you know, we're not to start going up to people like Job's friends Don't get me wrong, but most people don't even recognize the chastisement of God in their life when it's happening You'd be you would be well-served if you would just think on these things and think about whether or not you might be under The chastisement of God is what I'm what I'm trying to get you to understand Most people most other people can see it when it's happening to you. That's another interesting thing. All right now Though that's not what the sermons about they lied and they were under the chastisement of God God can chastise you in any way he wants. It's up to him. He's right. You're wrong every time Okay, the real point. I'm trying to get to you this morning. Is that Their motives were wrong. Their motives were not correct. They were trying to appear as Spiritual as those who were giving everything to the church That is what they were doing. Look Barnabas sold it all and he gave it all He sold his land and he gave the full price So, I mean this is the example of if you have some brother in the church who sells everything He owns and comes to the church with ten thousand dollars and says here's here's ten thousand dollars I sold everything that I owned then you have another brother that does the same thing and he comes to the church with you know $15,000 and he just gives it all he says I sold everything I own and here's everything and their motives were just in the right Place just to give everything to just go all in for God and then you have some other brother who's maybe worth You know a million dollars or something and he sells, you know part of what he owns and he comes and he gives a hundred thousand dollars to the church and he comes and he just Smacks that down. He's like look at how spiritual I am when that was just nothing to him Compared to you know, the brothers that gave everything up. Okay, so Basically, they were one upping They were one upping the other people Okay now Turn to Luke chapter 21 Luke chapter 21 and I don't know I mean my thought is my opinion on the story is that it was probably something very similar to that where they gave You know, maybe more or to look more spiritual and you know, but of course, we don't know the amounts and things like that That's my opinion on it But they were basically trying to steal a spiritual thunder from the other people that were doing Doing it but with a willing heart look at Luke 21 and verse number one the Bible says this and he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the Treasury and He saw also a certain poor widow casting into their two mites and he said of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow have cast in more than they all For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God But she of her pernary has cast in all the living that she had very similar theory here That this lady had had next to nothing but she gave it all It was it was so much more to her than these people that gave so much more You know the quantity of money that they gave was much more but it was just nothing to them So this lady's heart was right and the other people's heart was just it was just nothing to them. Okay, so look These people in Acts chapter 4 were giving willingly Okay, and it was theirs to do with what they wanted I mean look Peter didn't say to Ananias that you have to give all your land and All your money to the church. He actually said that you know, look when it was yours You could decide to do with whatever you want with it. And he also said that even after you sold it You could do whatever you wanted with that money It was what they did and the motives that they they used that caused them the problems Right, it was that they came and they they lied and they said and they lied and they said that they sold it for this Much and that they they'd given them up when they were really keeping back The money they were lying and they were their motives were wrong They were trying to appear more spiritual and God just wasn't having any of it God knew what was going on. He wasn't having any of it and he killed them both Look, there's no indication that these people were not saved These people were part of the church they were brothers and sisters in Christ and God just killed them both right there in The same chapter some point number one tonight. Is that your motives do matter to God Your motives do matter Ananias still gave money the problem was his motive was to be seen as more spiritual than he was or even more spiritual than the other people in that Church turn to Matthew chapter 23 See it wasn't good enough for him to say hey I have you know It wouldn't have looked as good to him If he said look I have this much money and I'm only willing to give you this much That wouldn't have looked good for him instead. He went in there and he tried to look more Spiritual than everybody else look at Matthew chapter 23 Jesus talked about this with the Pharisees The Bible says in verse number one of Matthew chapter 23 then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat and Therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders But they themselves will not move them one of their fingers But all their works they do for to be seen of men and they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments turn to Numbers chapter 15 Enlarging the borders of their garments, let's take a look at what that means So he's talking about these Pharisees and they're out They're out telling people to do all these things and Jesus says hey do the things that the Pharisees say to do But just don't do what they actually do because the two are not the same okay, and then they're enlarging the borders of their garments and Jesus recognizes this if you look at Numbers 15 look at verse number 38 And this is a command to the children of Israel is what they're supposed to do and the Bible says in Numbers 15 in verse number 38 speak unto the children of Israel and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their Generations and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon to blue and it shall be unto you for a fringe that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and Do them and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes after which he used to go a whoring So this fringe that they put on their garments on that it was a fringe and it was to be blue It was to be a so they could remember the commandments of God and that they would do the commandments of God So Jesus understood the hypocrisy here So here you had the Pharisees and you know They took the fringe that the normal people had and they made their fringe really big They enlarged the fringe of their garment. Look at my blue stripes they're walking around and they're not doing any of it and Because that's what the fringe is supposed to be though. It didn't say so the so the people will know who you are That you're you know, the children of God to glorify yourself No, it was to be a remembrance of God and his law. So you will do God's law Is what it says in Numbers chapter 15 So the infer the Pharisees enlarged it to be seen of men their motives Were the opposite of what they should have been Just as Ananias and Sapphira's motives were wrong Which leads me to my second point? Which is this bad people will try to look good Bad people will try to look good turn to John chapter 12. I mean the Pharisees were a perfect example of this They spoke the right things. They said the right things, but they didn't do any of those things That's why Jesus said hey do what they say, but just don't do what they do Because they're hypocrites. I mean how many times did Jesus say that? hypocrites Hypocrites look at John chapter 12 in verse number two. Let's look at another example of this in the Bible Bad people will try to look good Because they don't want you to think that they're bad They'll try to look good and you need to watch for this John chapter 12 verse number two there They made him a supper and Martha served but Lazarus was one of them that sat with him at the table This is after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard Very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the odor of the Ointment then saith one of the disciples Judas Iscariot Simon's son, which would betray him Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? So here Judas is saying hey, we shouldn't waste this. We should be giving it to the poor So here's the thing Judas was lying here Judas Didn't care for the poor he cared for the money, but he was trying to look ultra spiritual Here think about it. He was trying to be more spiritual than Jesus in This story he's saying, you know, Jesus was okay with this With with this with this ointment Mary's heart was right. She was the one you know hanging on his every single word in Luke chapter 11 while Martha served turn to Luke 18 Turn to Luke 18 Judas couldn't stand it You know He was trying to be more compassionate or trying to show himself to be more compassionate to the poor than even Jesus But Mary was showing mercy towards Jesus wiping his feet with her hair Anointing his head and Judas just couldn't take it. He couldn't take it Look at Luke chapter 18 We'll see another example of this two men went up into the temple to pray the one a Pharisee and the other a publican a publican being a government official a tax collector somebody who is you know viewed as someone who was a Low character the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God. I thank thee that I am NOT as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this publican this guy next to me I Fast twice in a week I give tithes of all that I possess and the publican standing afar off Would not even so much as lift his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner. I Tell you that this man went down to his house justified Rather than the other the publican went justified rather than the other for everyone that exalted himself shall be a base and everyone that humbled Himself shall be exalted. So why did that guy go down justified because to get saved to be saved? You must be humble You cannot be a prideful person. It won't work I mean if you're a soul winner, you know that pride is the one thing that stops people from trusting only in Jesus If if you're a prideful person, you're gonna trust yourself Okay, it takes humility to be saved All right, so what this leads me to my third point which is this turn to Matthew chapter 9 God wants what does God want? God wants mercy over sacrifice He wants mercy over sacrifice. Look at Matthew chapter 9 in verse number 10 Where the Bible reads and it came to pass as Jesus sat and meet in the house behold many publicans and sinners came and Sat down with him and his disciples and when the Pharisees saw it they said unto his disciples Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that he said unto them they that behold need not a physician, but they that are sick But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners To repentance. So Jesus says, you know what? I want mercy more than sacrifice. I Want you to not only does God care about your motives, but he would prefer that you be merciful then to sacrifice Now look Being merciful is much harder Then then sacrificing things Outwardly because sacrificing things is just something that you physically do If I give you something or I you know, give money or whatever like Ananias and Sapphira You know, that's fairly easy to do but having a merciful heart that is not easy to do Having a murk being merciful is a state of your heart Okay Sacrifice isn't is an outward action But Jesus said I would prefer that your heart is right. But look you the state of your heart folks and This is where it really gets tricky the state of your heart Drives your motives for what you do. I Mean it's easy to exalt yourself outwardly. That's easy. That's just things that you do What's hard is having mercy when you feel like people don't deserve mercy So that's my third point. God wants mercy over sacrifice. So what's the application this morning? So we see that God does care what your motives are So the application this morning is is number one you need to make sure that your motives are right Because there's there's consequences if they're not If you're saved and your motives are not right there are consequences in the case of Ananias and Sapphira The consequences were severe Were very severe. All right, so you're saying why should I have my my motives, right? So the first thing I want to just tell you today is that your motive should be you know towards God and not towards men Because I have news for you men will fail you Men will fail you you need to make sure that your spiritual life is not dependent on individuals on Individual people look brothers and sisters in Christ are important It's a big reason that you know, we have this organization called a church that we're supposed to come to But men will fail you every time So you need to make sure that you're not coming to church activities, you know purely for social reasons You need to make sure that you're your focus for coming to church and your drive for doing these things is Because God tells you to and that's God's command to you. Look there's much there's much benefit To coming to church And there's you know, we are to sharpen each other and to edify each other as brothers and sisters in Christ But that cannot be your main motive because guess what and I've talked to many pastors and I've had the privilege of talking with pastors who have have been pastors good pastors faithful pastors for 10 years 15 years and they will tell you that people come and go I've had one pastor tell me That he feels like he's been the pastor of several churches over the years very successful church Many people in his church, but you see it. He says he just people come and go For for various reasons so you can't have your motives focused on any Man if I was dependent on Any one of you this ministry would fail. I have to be focused on God People will fall away people will move people will fail you In your spiritual life. You need to have your focus on the Lord period Okay. Look let's talk about motives in your marriage turn to Proverbs chapter at Proverbs chapter 18 Proverbs chapter 18 do your motives matter in your marriage? Proverbs chapter 18 look at verse number 22 Proverbs chapter 18 in verse number 22 The Bible says whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and Obtaineth favor of the Lord now. Look this is just a side note. We were just in San Francisco at this big Soul-winning event and this is like a huge thing for singles They love coming to these things and and meeting other other Christians But look if you want to get married look men this is talking about you. It says findeth a wife Okay, Proverbs 18 22 if a man findeth a wife you findeth a good thing and obtain a favor of the Lord So this equates finding a wife with having favor from the Lord So if you want to get married man, you need to have favor with the Lord I mean, is that hard to understand there? A equals B B equals C A equals C Okay, if you want to get married you have to have favor with the Lord So ask yourself if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing in your life You know, it takes more than just soul-winning There's a lot of things that you should be doing man that will get you favor with the Lord There's a lot of commands for men in the Bible. And if you want to get married do those things Motives you need to focus on the Lord in your marriage Because men I have news for you your wife will fail you Hopefully not all the time every every day, but I mean your wife will fail you Wives your husband will fail you Your husband will make mistakes he will fail you you know, the Bible says husbands love your wife Regardless of her actions towards you See your focus needs to be on the Lord Wives reverence your husband turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 7 wives reverence your husband regardless of his actions towards you regardless of what he's doing I've said this before if if your Your duties as a husband or your duties as a wife were dependent on the actions of each It would never work Because your wife will fail you your husband will fail you look at 1st Corinthians chapter 7 in verse number 13 The Bible says this and the woman with hath and husband that believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her Let her not leave him for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife That means made holy by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified sanctified by the husband. It works both ways Else your else were your children unclean, but now they are holy So look this is talking about someone who's married to an unbeliever and you know Whether it be the husband or the wife They're supposed to stay with that person because they will sanctify that unbeliever and I've seen this work many times eventually the other Couple most of the time gets saved eventually the other The other spouse gets saved if the other person just focuses on what the Lord has them to do in their marriage whether it be The husband loving his wife the wife Resurrent reverencing your husband and and they sanctify the other one and eventually things come together That's what that's 1st Corinthians 7 working. I've seen it many times But look it applies to the saved as well It applies to the saved as well. So it many times you'll see a husband and a wife who are not in the same spiritual place I Mean it happens all the time. So what do you do? You know, but it's a blessing if you're both in a church You're saved, but maybe you're not in the same spiritual place So what husbands need to be the example and lead their wives in a loving way. Look at Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 This is why you need to be focused on the Lord and not each other Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 look at verse 25 The Bible says husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word Then he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing But that it should be holy and without blemish So wives be the example in a respectful reverent way and you will sanctify him the unspiritual spouse Well can also be sanctified by the husband this works if you're not growing together at the same rates You need to be aware of this but look back now at verse number 26 Which is a verse that we don't really focus on a lot when we read this these three verses If you're not growing together at the same rates you can actually sanctify the your wife How can you do that? Well, the directions are right here and Cleanse it with the washing of water by the what? by the word So husbands you should be if your wife is not as spiritual as you or she's not where you're at spiritually You should be encouraging. You should be leading spiritually. You should be encouraging Bible reading first of all, you know, and here's a prescription for you and I Pulled my wife on this. I sat her down and interrogated her on this as well I'm gonna give you a prescription tonight if this is this morning. I'm sorry. It's that Austrian guy again He ruined my life on evenings and mornings This is a prescription. I asked my wife. I asked my wife because we we do Bible studies at home We don't do them enough. I'm gonna confess that to you right now because there's such a good thing We need to do him more. I asked my wife I said what do you like so much about the Bible studies that we do at home? and the one thing that popped up that she said to me is she said that we're all sitting down in a quiet place and Everyone including me has your undivided attention. Ooh I Mean that kind of I mean, I mean it's a great response But it's kind of like, you know, look we get busy men if you're doing what you're supposed to do Not only will you find a wife? But you will be busy You will be busy and this world is flying by you like this and it's hard to get to a place sometimes where you give Your family and your wife your undivided attention But the Bible says that you'll be sanctified through the word. You should lead at home So if you lead in that sanctification through the word and create Bible studies at home First of all, my family loves it. I know my wife loves it I know my wife would like to do it like two times a day. She loves it that much The kids love it But look it will sanctify your spouse. So here's your prescription if you don't do this try to try to do it once or twice a week and Call me in the morning I'm serious. Try this once or twice a week. Try it for two to three weeks and tell me what happens in your home Lead a Bible study. It's not complicated. Take ten minutes read a chapter in the Bible. Just do this. Just go like this Read That chapter Make some notes you're saved So you and the Holy Spirit men take ten minutes to read through that make some notes on talking points that you would like to do sit down with your family read it together and Talk through the chapter. It's that simple and you'll be surprised at this if the things that come up You'll be surprised at what your ten-year-olds your seven-year-olds your six-year-olds can can get out of the Bible, especially when they're saved And if you're reading the Bible to them all the time, and they're five six seven years old. Guess what's gonna happen I'm gonna get saved They're gonna they're gonna start asking questions about the gospel Okay, so try this try it. It'll sanctify your spouse through the what the word The Bible's answers are right here folks. I mean all we have to do is just read this thing And just and just follow through and just listen, right Just listen, your wife will be sanctified just like the church in verse number 27 so basically and here's the answer for men and women if Your husband's not in the same spiritual place as you or your wife is not in the same spiritually is you? Here's the answer to get equalized together. It's really right here. It's time spent together It's time if you run off and you grow and grow and grow It'll just get worse. The gap will just will just widen you need to be growing together and That equals look that equals time spent together and men look this is a problem that we have mostly I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you right now because we get busy Especially if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing we get busy But Take the time and sanctify your wife and your family through the word, please Pull them pull them up It's your job. I mean you were the leader. There's more responsibility on you I hate to break it to you, but there's more responsibility to you if that unit falls apart. That's on you. I Don't like hearing anybody make excuses any man make excuses about why things didn't go well in his marriage or whatever Because guess what? I don't care what she was like. It was your fault because you were leading that show You're driving that bus. You're steering that shit. So sanctify your family through the word listen to what the Bible says All right. Let's talk about your motivations at work or ladies at home turn to Colossians chapter 3 Look it shouldn't really matter who you work for It shouldn't really matter look at Colossians chapter 3 this one's a quick point but it's worth it's worth pointing out Colossians chapter 3 look at verse number 23 The Bible says that whatsoever you do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men Knowing that of the Lord he shall receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ Women you say my husband Husband He doesn't praise me like the husband in Proverbs 31 praises his wife And say he doesn't praise me enough, which is another problem that many men have including myself at times You need to praise your wife for what she's doing for when she's doing things. Well But look women you shouldn't depend on that because you should be doing your duties at home You should be you should be keeping the home. You should be teaching the children You should be doing those things as unto the Lord and not to your husband It I mean, you're obviously doing it for your family and your husband as well but your ultimate purpose here is to serve the Lord you do things as unto Christ and Christ will never let you down. That's why it's a perfect model So look men at work Just just go to work like you're working for Christ That's the answer to being a good employee and getting further at work The Second point is this there's zero profit if your motives aren't right now listen closely to this one Turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 So we see that we need to get our motives, right We need to get our motives and everything right? We need to get our motives in church, right? We need to get our motives and our family, right? We need to get our motives, you know at home at work, right? We need to get all of our motives right, but look if your motives aren't right There's no profit to you turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 This is the verse of the week In verse number three where it says and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing Look turn to Hebrews chapter 6 The Bible here is saying that if your heart isn't right in what you're doing and you're not doing things for the right reasons There's no profit in it. I mean, that's a strong statement We don't want to make that mistake Now look worst case is you know, go to Hebrews chapter 6 And worst let's look at the unsaved and for a worst case here look at Hebrews 6 and verse number 1 Where the Bible says therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ Let us go on onto perfection not laying not laying again the foundation of repentance From dead works and faith toward God. So what are dead works? so before you were saved and You repented we talked about repentance on Thursday night, right? Repentance means that all repentance means is that you're changing your mind You're turning from believing this to believing on the Lord Jesus Christ This you have to repent of your sins to be saved is nowhere in the Bible. It's not taught in the Bible It's made up its workspace salvation God repented in the Bible. I Can't even count how many times God repented the Bible says it means God changed his mind God didn't sin if every time you see the word repent you think of your sins means God sinned in Jonah 3 10 It means God sin God doesn't sin Repentance means to turn from something to something So these people here it's saying that we have we have we're gonna move on to under perfection We've repented from dead works towards faith in God So these people what he's talking about is they've given up that they can work their way to heaven. That's dead works they've given up this idea that my works can get me to heaven and They've instead turned towards what Faith in God faith toward God. He said hey, we don't want to go back to that doctrine What I mean, this is the worst case right some dead works is is the saddest case of motives in the wrong place When you think about it somebody who's unsaved It is just trying to be a good person and do good things and try to be good enough to get to heaven That's the saddest case. I think of pilgrims progress. I Think of John Bunyan from pilgrims progress. I mean the man believed in works-based salvation And he taught a false gospel, but he was persecuted for a false gospel it's a sad situation the man spent time in prison and I mean he was persecuted terribly throughout his life and For nothing it was dead works Unless he you know believed on the Lord Jesus Christ at some point in his life before he died. He's not in heaven He believed in dead works. That's what he taught works-based salvation. I Mean, it's it's sad. That's that's the worst case Unsaved person having their motives in the wrong place, but the best case look is that you can have a saved person also doing things for the wrong reasons a Saved person can do that and like what look what a waste What a waste that is because the Bible says that Although I'd be still all my goods to the poor and I mean I give my life is what he says and I and I have and I do it for the wrong reasons I have not charity it profiteth me nothing And we see that with Ananias and Sapphira in the Bible their motives were in the wrong place Look your motivation needs to be towards the Lord period Another Application I want to give to you this morning is to try to recognize people whose actions don't match their words These are the Judases and the Pharisees This is that ultra spiritual person that Judas was trying to be Okay, he was trying to be more spiritual. You know, this is the person you'll meet these people They speak to you completely in Bible verses. They're just ultra spiritual You know, they're more spiritual than everyone but look it's easy to find them because their actions don't match Their actions don't match the words that are coming out of their mouth These are you know, it's a huge red flag to me. I can pick these people out like that I've seen it many times. These are fake people and it's always a sign of bad things to come Turn to Proverbs chapter 29 this by the way is why flattery is always considered bad in the Bible Flattery is never talked about in a good way in the Bible. Look at Proverbs chapter 29 and verse number 5 Proverbs 29 and verse number 5 The Bible says a man that flatter th his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet Means he's setting up a trap for him if I flatter you look this What's the difference between flattery and a compliment? I mean if I say to brother Ryan, hey brother Ryan, thank you for doing soul winning yesterday And I think I did say thank you right and did I I hope so If I say that I could be either flattering him or I could be giving him a compliment so what's the difference the words were the same right brother Ryan you did a great job yesterday and Thank you for doing that. But here's the here's the difference The words might be the same but it's my motives That's different it's my motives that matter look if I'm just saying it cuz like brother Ryan you did great man Hey, can we get like 20 more pounds of coffee? For the church, by the way nice suit brother Did I mean is that a new tie? You're doing great. How about some coffee? You know, that's flattery. I'm spreading a net for his feet. I'm trying to get something out of him I'm not being sincere. That's the difference right and guess what if you're a prideful person You'll never recognize the difference if somebody's flattering you or if somebody's actually giving you a compliment if you're a prideful person I don't want to go off on this but you'll never notice the difference people will be spreading nets for you all over the place You'll just be walking right on him. You'll go. I'm great. This is a great time Thank you. I know I'm awesome Thank you. What else you got? You're good-looking. I know Thank you And then the net Right, you just gets I've seen it with with with leaders all over the how people don't recognize it, but they're prideful That's why they don't recognize it Turn to Jude chapter 1 Jude chapter 1 Jude chapter 1 so you just have to understand that there's these people that are flatterers these people that are ultra spiritual But look there's nothing wrong with being spiritual. We want to be spiritual, right? But if you have these people who are insincere meaning they're they're saying these things, but it doesn't match who they actually are You know, you need to pop a red flag up in your head on that. Look at Jude 1 16 The Bible talks about these people again It says these are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts and their mouth speaking great swelling words Having man's persons and admiration because of advantage If I was speaking great swelling words towards brother Ryan just to get coffee That's my advantage. I'm trying to get something out of him. So just watch for these people in your life, you know the motives for compliments and the motives for things and for your words it matters and you can tell because just like the Pharisees their words Did not match their what? Their actions the borders on their garments did not match The reason that God said the borders were supposed to be on those garments They were doing it to be seen of men their their motives were wrong. Okay, so look, I mean this morning Folks, it's just having your motives in the right place is really It's really just a matter of faith It's just a matter of faith in God It's just a matter of knowing in your heart that that you should just do the things that God says that you should do Because God wants you to do them Because God says in the Bible that you should do them and just don't expect anything in return. That's the easy way Okay. Yeah, I mean give willingly or don't give it all You know do a heart check this morning You know do a heart check, you know, why are you here if you were here because you know You're being pressured to be here or you know, we talked about this a couple weeks ago. But look Your hearts not you got a heart problem there You got a heart issue, you know, why why let me ask you this why for those of you that went Why did you go to San Francisco? Did you go did you go to San Francisco for mercy or for sacrifice? Did you go to San Francisco because you had mercy on those people in San Francisco because guess what we knocked on a lot of doors yesterday and guess what they're just people Most People in every city across this country and across this world, they're just people Did you have mercy on those people or did you go? For you know to show your sacrifice and to show you know, I mean, hopefully that we all did it Because we had mercy on those people We didn't go so we could, you know Tell them how rotten their city is and all this type of stuff We had mercy on them on those 14 people. Somebody had mercy on those 14 people You know, here's here's a mercy meter for you. You say you say I Don't know how much mercy I have. Well, here's a mercy meter for you How many doors would you allow to be slammed in your face? To give the gospel to one person There's your mercy meter If you say that because look haven't doors slammed in your face It is not fun. I mean, it's never really been fun to me I mean, I guess it's fun sometimes but I mean it can be it can be a beat-down Just people just know get out of here not interested, you know, whatever It can be a beat-down but how many doors that'll tell you how merciful you are if you're just like, you know This next one this next one. There's got to be somebody on this map of 250 homes. There's got to be somebody and You know what there is There is so there's your mercy meter when things get rough out soul-winning You haven't had somebody saved you haven't had somebody say that, you know They want you to show them how to get to heaven in in a few weeks I mean there's times when I went in months without getting anybody saved. I went soul-winning every week But look, where's your mercy at? You know that that's your mercy meter Now look, there's a lot of fun and exciting things happening right now, I Mean there I mean I was thinking about it last night, you know when you get in That's one thing these events do is they really motivate you For what's happening? You know, we actually have the opportunity to be part of something amazing happening in this country And actually across the world It would be a shame It would be a shame when all this is happening and we can be part of it It's like it's like the book of Acts 2.0 right now is what I look at Look at it like and it would be a shame to have all this happening and to be part of it and have your motives In the wrong place, that would be a shame So get your motives, right Don't be doing things to be seen of men or you know what you can even go under God's chastisement for that Just like Ananias and Sapphira But even worse, you know, you'll have zero rewards for any of it. You're just doing it. You know, you have your reward If you're doing it to be seen of men So look God wants you to have mercy on people San Francisco was a great Example of that yet 166 people who came from all over the world We met people from all over the world from Korea from somewhere in Russia from Poland I Mean we there was people from all over the world there I mean that you don't get you don't get to San Francisco from all over the world from Canada in five minutes People spend a lot of money people spend a lot of resources people spend a lot of time to go and have mercy on people on 14 people That's that's that's pretty good mercy meter right there. So look your motives do matter Okay, do do a check on yourself and do it often Do a check on yourself. Am I what am I doing these things for? Why am I why am I gonna act this way towards my spouse? How do I need to act in my family and who am I doing it for if you're doing it for the Lord? You're doing it for the right reason and you'll keep doing it because you know men are gonna let you down Look, there's gonna be times when I will let you down I'll forget something or I won't do something the way you thought I should have done it, but I'm just a man So get your focus in the right place because your motives do matter and that's what this story in the Bible was telling us Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for We thank you for the Bible We thank you for this story in the Bible Lord and all the lessons that we can take away from it Well, we thank you for this time that we're living in right now We thank you for the exciting things that are coming up Lord, we thank you for the upcoming Mega marathon or we thank you for the upcoming mission trips that I know are upcoming What I want you to just be with us and just help us to always check our hearts to make sure that you know Our hearts are in the right place Lord so we can get focused get laser focused on you And and just and just drive forward or that we can sanctify each other that we can sanctify our families Lord as the Bible says That if we do these things that will happen we thank you for all these promises Lord We love you and ask you just bless the rest of today soul winning in church tonight in Jesus name. Amen