Sermon Cloud

This is from the Darby Bible. Our other Scripture is Acts 5:1-10

This is from the American Standard Version

I call this study

Lets say a prayer before we get started on this study.

Dear Lord,

I ask that this study is what you want me to say and not just a bunch of empty words that Sound theological. I ask that these words do make a difference in someone's life and helps them to know how to be a better Christian.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Let's talk about a head Christian first.

A head Christian is one who tithes like he should. Gives to the building fund, to Missions, sings in choir, is there for every work day, Is part of the men’s or Ladie’s groups, teaches Sunday School. They seem to be the finest example of a good Christian.

Now the bad part. This same person who seems so perfect at church is an absolute jerk during the week. This is how they really are they look at their Baptism as more of an initiation to a club or something not actually asking Jesus into their heart. During the week this person is a totally different person. They go to the local bar, or worse, a bar with women dancing topless or nude. They go to Daytona Fl. during bike week and they can't miss the wet T-shirt contest. (Men watching, Girls Or the girls got to be in it.) They tell dirty jokes at work, Make BAD fun of fellow employee's. Find ways to cheat their employer out of more money. They might even cheat on there spouse.

But come Sunday morning, well like the old saying goes, They sew wild oats on Saturday night, and come to church Sunday morning and pray for a crop failure. The head Christian was not serious when they became a Christian. I guess the best way to put it is they just went thru the motions and it wasn't a real honest decision from the heart. They just did it. And it might have honestly been so it looks good on their resume, Really.

That's Darby Bible

The one who sows to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction.

That was from the New International Version or NIV.

So if the only reason you became a Christian is that people would think you are a better person then you will reap corruption or harvest decay. If the only reason you became a Christian is so you would have a better chance of joining the country club. If the only reason you became a Christian is to be part of the Methodist club, the Baptist club, the Catholic club, Then you are a head Christian. Now let me qualify that last remark, Not every Methodist, Baptist, or Catholic have to be in the upper-class part of the church but many think it means they are special if they are part of this church or that Church. It has nothing to do with being a Christian it is just a status symbol. Unfortunately I have met a few pastors in my town that are just as bad. Their status as a pastor is more important than savings souls, or teaching and preaching sermons that can make a difference. Preaching sermons God would be proud of.

Mathew Henry says this

Barns notes says this

B.W. Johnson says this

NOW You can look like just the ABSOLUTE perfect Christian on Sundays and Wednesdays but if you don't stay that way all week 24/7 then you are mocking or making fun of God. “But pastor I can be any way I want to be during the week all I have to do is pray for forgiveness on Sunday and God will forgive me.” Look folks If you think prayer is an insurance policy so that every time you do something wrong and pray for forgiveness BUT DON”T DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE then to be honest you are praying to empty air. God won't listen if you don't come to pray with the right heart. A heart that knows you have done wrong. And you come wanting to change to be more Christ like. That is the literal meaning of the word Christian, Christ like. God who knows your heart as well as your actions. God knows if you are for real or not. If you really accepted Jesus or you just did it so you look like a better person. But when you are away from church you are a conniving alcoholic, that has to be the big boss that is a real jerk to his or her employees. They were the geeks in High School so they quite frankly gave their employers a real con job. They made their bosses think they were more than they really are. When in fact they don't deserve a position like that at all. They just wanted to Be able to boss other people around like they were bossed around in School. They quite frankly lied to get where they are. Sounds like a real good Christian doesn't it??? No they aren't. If this person was going to Church and doing as he should and being a Christian as God would have him, this person Him or her wouldn't be that way. unfortunately some of these people believe in eternal salvation which says once saved always saved. Yes that's true IF YOU ARE DOING YOUR BEST TO BE THE BEST CHRISTIAN YOU CAN BE!!! But if you went thru the motions and thought of it more as an initiation and went back to carousing in bars, telling dirty jokes, making fun of employees under you then on Sunday go to church and pray for forgivness but are just going thru the motions and don't really mean it, and you have been many years AFTER you went thru the motions then YOU ARE NOT SAVED you are a head Christian and well I hate to say it but

Your name won't be in “The lambs book of life” you do still have a chance to change though here is the example of how you should be.

A heart Christian is one who tithes like he should. Gives to the building fund, sings in choir, teaches Sunday School. but might not give to missions because this teacher is being a missionary right here in this Jerusalem. Jesus said in

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Notice Jesus said Jerusalem or where they were when all that started so your town is your Jerusalem. This person is a missionary right here. So they take some personal money that they might give to the missionary fund and spend it maybe on special decorations for the Sunday School class or for Bibles for their Sunday School students. But they don't ask for the church to pay them back. They are also prayer warriors. They pray for the needs of their church and its members. and especially for the students they teach.

Mathew Henry says this

Barnes says this

B.W. Johnson says this

Now lets go back to Acts 5:1-10 I want to read it again to bring it back to

memory. I will use the Bible in Basic English

Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, got money for his property, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife having knowledge of it, and took the rest and put it at the feet of the Apostles. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has the Evil One put it into your heart to be false to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While you had it, was it not your property? and after you had given it in exchange, was it not still in your power? how has this purpose come into your mind? you have been false, not to men, but to God. 5 And at these words, Ananias went down on the earth, and his life went from him: and great fear came on all who were present. 6 And the young men went and made ready his body, and took it out, and put it in the earth. 7 And about three hours after, his wife, having no knowledge of what had taken place, came in. 8 And Peter said to her, Give me an answer: was this amount of money the price of the land? And she said, Yes, it was. 9 But Peter said to her, Why have you made an agreement together to be false to the Spirit of the Lord? See, the feet of the young men who have put the body of your husband in the earth, are at the door, and they will take you out. 10 And straight away she went down at his feet, and her life went from her: and the young men came in and saw her dead, and they took her out and put her in the earth with her husband.

I am back to the head Christian here

Now here are a couple of people who are apparently Christians that put on a good face. But when it comes down to it they back off. They didn't give all the money they said they did. I guess these are like the head Christians because they cheated God. They tried to pay for their passport to heaven and cheated God when they did.

The Geneva Notes, PC Study Bible goes step by step and says this. Acts 5:1

I want to repeat part of this,

They were head Christians.

Acts 5:2

My note here

If they had just been honest with the amount and said they kept some back for themselves that never would have happened.

Acts 5:3

Acts 5:4

Acts 5:9

They were foolish to keep away a part of the price, as though they were dealing with men, and not with God, and therefore he says afterwards that they tempted God.

Willmington's guide to the Bible says this

about this scripture

What I am trying to say here is this, every time you do something against what is right and just. Every time you lie, every time you do anything against what God teaches then you are tempting God or getting him mad. If you don't straighten up you will wind up like Ananias & Saphira. Maybe not right away but well let me repeat something I said earlier.

I guess the best and most simple way to put this is this Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. So Be the heart Christian God want's you to be. So you can reap the reward of heaven. And not the head Christian Satan want's you to be. I want to leave you with the words to a very special Gospel song by Rich Mullens called Awesome God but Carmen’s version called Awesome God. It goes like this