Rev. David Holwick J The Church You've Longed For, #5
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
March 18, 2007
Acts 5:1-11
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I. Integrity gets noticed.
A. Would you have done this?
Dan Lupton tells a story found in the Chicago Daily Herald
newspaper in 1996.
The headline read: "Fairy tale princess story turns sour after
newlyweds lose money."
What had happened was that this young couple, very much in
love, were leaving their wedding reception in the small
hours of the morning.
While they were putting things into the car, the groom laid
on top of the car a large manila envelope that contained
the cash gifts.
It held just over $12,000.
Then they drove off, with the envelope still on the car... but
not for long.
When they got to their hotel, they discovered it was gone and,
thinking back, they knew just what had happened.
The newspaper picked up the sad story and it touched the
hearts of everyone.
Two days later, the paper ran a follow-up story.
The title, "Finder's Keepers. Not all believe it."
It seems that a man named David Yi, an unemployed resident of
the community, found the package, looked inside, remembered
the newspaper article, and returned it to the couple.
He didn't even consider keeping it.
Yi said, "Whether it was $50 or $1000 or a million, it wasn't
mine.
It's just [a matter] of right and wrong."
What would you have done in that situation?
What would your PASTOR have done?
Now think if you were unemployed and your bank account was
bare.
You can't find a job no matter how hard you try.
The mortgage is due.
And you find an envelope filled with checks and cash...
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As a Christian, you know what you SHOULD do.
But what would you ACTUALLY do?
The reality is that this result is so rare, it gets put in
newspapers.
B. Calling yourself a Christian puts your character on the line.
1) It puts your Savior and your church on the line, too.
2) Our church can only be the kind you want it to be, if
every member takes their character seriously.
II. A glaring example of hypocrisy. Acts 5
A. The Bible always balances victory with failure.
1) Joshua - conquest of Jericho followed by sin of Achan.
2) King David - his unification of Israel and defeat of foreign
enemies is followed by adultery with Bathsheba.
3) Book of Acts - victory of Pentecost is followed by sin
of Ananias and Sapphira.
B. They didn't have to do it.
1) The early church revealed its enthusiasm not just with
emotions, but with actions.
a) They supported the poor among them by selling
possessions and sharing the proceeds.
b) It wasn't communism because it was totally voluntary.
2) One couple wanted it both ways.
a) They sold some land.
b) They presented some of the money to the apostles.
c) BUT they said, "Here is all of it."
1> If they had said, "Here is SOME of it," there would
have been no problem.
2> But they lied, and made their gift seem to be more
than it was.
3> They wanted financial security AND applause.
3) God's judgment was severe.
a) Both man and wife fell down dead.
1> Their lack of integrity cost them their lives.
b) This got the church's attention.
III. A lack of integrity has consequences.
A. It causes distrust.
1) Nobody trusts a liar or a cheat.
2) And once you get that reputation, it is hard to change it.
B. It hinders your testimony.
1) Once you open your mouth and say, "I believe in Jesus,"
people are watching to see if you trip up.
2) The jokes you use, the gossip you share, the corners you
cut are all noticed.
3) Most Christians have a neat solution - they just don't
tell anyone what they believe...
C. It causes non-Christians to be cynical about believers.
1) Some think it is only realistic that we fall short.
Scholar Keith Parsons, who is an atheist, attributes the
success of atheism to religious institutions themselves.
Religions, namely Christianity, set themselves up to fail,
he says, because of the claims they make for themselves.
He says,
"The Christian church, according to its own account, was
charged by its founder to be the light of the world and
the holder to the keys of the kingdom of God.
When so much is expected of an institution or an individual,
moral lapses are going to stick out with particular
vividness.
"It cannot be enough to be no worse than others when you
present yourself as setting the standard."
Parsons then poses this question: "Who needs atheist
agitators when the day-to-day impact of the church on
people's lives is so small?"
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2) That's an honest question.
a) What is the REAL impact of Jesus on your life?
D. It brings reproach on your church.
1) Would anyone look down on this church due to your actions?
E. It wounds your family.
1) Your family name will get a bad reputation that sticks.
2) Your children can pick up bad habits from you.
a) Apples cannot fall far from the tree.
F. It brings death.
1) Ananias and Sapphira are a literal example.
2) But usually the death is more subtle.
a) A life that lacks integrity really lacks God.
b) And on the Judgment Day, you'll find that he won't
recognize you or claim you as his own.
c) The Bible calls this spiritual death, and it lasts
for eternity.
IV. How to build integrity into your life.
A. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Levy Mwanawasa (mwah-nah-WAH-sah) remembers attending a Baptist
mission school in the African country of Zambia as a boy.
The school didn't require a spiritual commitment but it did
teach lessons from the Bible in addition to regular subjects.
In adulthood Levy entered politics and gained a reputation for
honesty so that even his opponents called him
"Mr. Integrity."
In 2002 he was elected president of Zambia.
Soon after this, he began attending a small Baptist church in
the capital, Lusaka.
The president began asking questions about the Christian faith
and how he could join the church.
Church members answered his questions and ministered to him
during difficult times.
After Mwanawasa began attending the church, his mother died
from injuries caused by a fire.
He also lost his two brothers.
One died unexpectedly of illness; the other was murdered.
Two years ago this month, President Mwanawasa was baptized.
He shared his spiritual journey before a packed church, and told
listeners he had been "struck" by Jesus just like the
Apostle Paul's experience on the road to Damascus.
People have commented on how the president's life has changed.
He already has invited friends and leaders from around the
world to attend church with him.
One missionary shared with him that he had been praying that
Zambia would have a leader who had Jesus as his Lord.
He told the president that he praised God for his salvation,
and would pray for him to continue to be a president who
sees leadership as serving the people rather than
lording it over them.
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B. Work integrity into every area of your life.
1) Marriage and personal relationships.
2) Money and business and taxes.
3) Conversation and promises.
C. Confess your sins and make amends.
1) It's never too late to say you are sorry.
William Beebe is 42 years old.
23 years ago, while in college, he assaulted a young woman.
He was never charged with any crime.
But he became an alcoholic.
A few years ago he began attending Alcoholics Anonymous,
which recommends making amends for our actions that hurt
others, unless doing so would cause further injury.
Bill wrote the woman a letter of apology, saying, "I want
to make clear that I'm not intentionally minimizing the
fact of having assaulted you. I did."
"I'm not trying to excuse my behavior, but I was a
different person then.
"I have a purpose, and that gives life meaning.
I didn't have that then."
The woman went to the police and this week Bill was
sentenced to at least a year and a half in prison.
Some think the woman, and the courts, were too harsh.
So many years had gone by.
But years do not erase guilt.
Only genuine repentance does.
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2) Integrity is not a means to success.
It is the goal in and of itself.
Remember David Li, the guy who found the envelope?
When his story got out, he was offered jobs by Motorola,
Ameritech, Sony, Hilton Hotels, and a Hyundai dealer.
Mr. Yi wouldn't take any of the jobs he was offered.
He said he would only consider taking a job for which he
was qualified and not one offered solely on the basis
of his doing the right thing.
Such integrity is phenomenal.
It's the kind of integrity God wants us to have.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#8053 "His Kind Of Integrity Is Rare," by Dan Lupton, from his book
"I Like Church, But..." (Destiny Image Publishers, 1996);
Mainstay Church Ministries. Dan's book provided much of the
material in this sermon.
#26374 "Atheism: Twilight Or Dawn?," by Michael McCormack, Baptist Press,
http://www.baptistpress.org, March 7, 2007.
#29297 "President of Zambia Accepts Christ, Is Baptized At Local Baptist
Church," by Shawn Hendricks, Baptist Press,
http://www.baptistpress.org/, March 18, 2005.
#34244 "Man Who Sent Apology Sentenced For Rape," by Kristen Gelineau,
The Associated Press, March 16, 2007.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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