Hidden Agendas Acts 5:2 With his wife’s

Hidden Agendas
Acts 5:2
With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

They sold their property and they received the money.
Then they talked.
At some point in the conversation they began to think about themselves.
But of course they have a problem because they are in a move of God when everyone is giving everything they have.
‘Kept back and brought the rest’ was not happening when people sold their property.
It wasn’t a wrong thought. They no doubt had lots of justifiable reasons why they needed some of the money.
They should have been honest and spoke with the apostles to see if they were happy to receive ‘the rest’ of the money.
But they wanted people to know they were 100% givers. What people thought of them was more important than truthfulness.
There are givers for self-promotion.
Many years ago in my early days of pastoring a member offered me £20,000 so long as I told the church who had given the gift. I knew this request was revealing a hidden problem the man had of ego and control. I thanked him and refused the money.
Ananias and Sapphira chose to pretend they had given all when they hadn’t. Their decision revealed an underlying problem in their lives that was at odds with where the church was at in this move of the Spirit.
It still happens today sadly.
Not every pledge is fulfilled. Even in a mo e of the Spirit there can be hidden agendas.