. all rights belong to Tanis Harms –
. refer to www.church-skits.com
ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA – written by Tanis Harms
TOPIC: needs, giving, lying
SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:1 - 5:11
Style: drama/conversation: groups discuss giving
Cast: PEOPLE 1-5, EXTRAS, ANANIAS, SAPPHIRA
. (can divide lines if you have more actors)
NOTE: This skit can be lengthened and
. added to “Healing of the Lame Beggar”
SCRIPT:
(PEOPLE 1-3 enter and approach PERSON 4, ANANIAS,
SAPPHIRA, and CROWD 2.)
P1 We’ve brought someone along here who needs to meet
. with the apostles. (motions to P3, then looks around)
. Ah, so, where are they?
P4 The temple guards have arrested Peter and John.
. We really thought it was the end of them.
P1 What do you mean?
P4 The priests and Sadducees both wanted to put them
. to death.
P2 Well, can you blame them? After Peter and John
. spread the word about Jesus Christ, over
. five thousand people became believers.
P3 I can see how the temple officials would be angry,
. and afraid of losing their power over the people.
P4 Peter explained that he was only able to heal
. the lame beggar through the power of Jesus Christ.
. But sadly, even the high priest still doesn’t get it.
. The power of Jesus is available to anybody
. who will believe.
P1 Yes, but in order for the high priest to believe,
. he would have to admit that the Man he had put
. to death on the cross – WAS our Messiah – AND
. he would have to admit that Jesus our Messiah
. ROSE from dead.
. 2
P2 Well, what happened after they were arrested?
P4 You could see that the officials were confused.
. Here they were, Peter and John, just ordinary men,
. with no schooling at all. But they were speaking
. like very educated men - about Jesus’ power.
P2 But didn’t they SEE the evidence of Jesus’ power?
. It was pretty hard to miss the once-lame Bachir,
. walking and jumping all around – completely healed.
P1 Yeah, what did they say about THAT?
P4 What could they say? They were speechless. And they
. would look pretty stupid if they tried to deny
. that Bachir had been healed. Everyone saw this.
P5 (rushes out) Peter and John have been released!
. (CROWD is all excited) BUT – but they have been
. warned not to speak to anyone else about Jesus.
. (PERSON 3 looks saddened) Not to worry, that will
. never stop Peter and John! In fact, our numbers
. only keep growing because of this.
. (CROWD is excited again)
A But, aren’t they putting themselves into more danger?
P5 As Peter said, “WHICH is right in God’s eyes:
. to listen to men, or to God? As for us, we cannot
. help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
. Jesus is the stone the builders rejected, which
. has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in
. no one else. There is no other name under heaven
. given to mankind by which we must be saved.
P2 Indeed! Praise God!
S I think Eli, here, is a preacher-in-the-making!
P5 The Sovereign Lord has made the heavens and the earth
. and the sea, and everything in them.
P2 God spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of His
. servant, our father David: that the nations rage
. and the peoples plot in vain. The kings and rulers
. of earth rise up and band together against the Lord.
. 3
P5 (continues in prayer) Now, Lord, consider their
. threats and help your servants to speak Your word
. with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal
. and perform signs and wonders through the name
. of Your holy servant Jesus.
P3 Amen! I do believe this. I believe in Jesus.
. And I claim - that nothing I have is my own.
. It all belongs to God. I used to pass by beggars
. on the street and look away, but there shouldn’t
. be anybody in our sight who is in need of anything.
. (to P5) I want to sell all that I have - and share
. with everyone who has need.
P5 Anybody else who wants to do this, they should bring
. everything to the apostles to distribute accordingly.
. We can trust that they will be honest and fair.
(ALL exit, except for ANANIAS and SAPPHIRA.)
A I guess we should – do this - so we don’t look
. greedy compared to everyone else.
S Sell everything? But, we’ve worked so hard for
. what we have. And then what happens if WE ourselves
. should ever need anything? Ananias, can we really
. trust these people to help us – IF that ever happens?
A I can hear it now. I’m sure the apostles would
. call that – not trusting God – or something.
S Well, why put us in that position at all?
. Wouldn’t God honor us – BECAUSE we have taken care
. of ourselves? We have never been a burden to anyone.
. Why start now?
A I completely agree with you, Sapphira. Hm, well...
. I know! We could sell a portion of our property,
. but we don’t have to give everything that we make
. from it. We could just tell them that we gave
. all the money, and hide the rest. No one will know.
S I like that plan. We will look good to everyone,
. we’ll still have some money, and no one will know.
(ANINIAS and SAPPHIRA exit. RECOMMENDED ENDING)
. 4
(OPTIONAL SCENE ADD ON. PERSON 1 & 2 enter,
or these could be completely different people.)
P2 Did you hear about Ananias and Sapphira?
P1 That they sold some land and donated money?
. Who didn’t hear them bragging about that?
P2 Well when Ananias brought the money to Apostle Peter,
. Peter asked him why he would lie to the Holy Spirit
. and keep back some of the money. And right then
. at that very moment - Ananias – fell down - dead.
P1 What’s going to happen to Sapphira?
P2 Oh, well, when they saw her about three hours later,
. Peter asked her about the amount of money – and
. she lied about it, too.
P1 Did she die?
P2 On the spot.
P1 Wait, why? What was so wrong about keeping some
. of the money? Isn’t this all voluntary?
. Isn’t it all up to each person as to how much
. they want to give?
P2 It wasn’t about that. They both lied – and that -
. is lying to God.
P1 (talks while exiting) I guess, that’ll make
. people think twice about telling lies.