THE SIN OF HYPOCRISY BIBLE TEXT: JOSHUA 7:1- 26. Memory Verse: PSALMS 101:7

WHAT IS HYPOCRISY? Hypocrisy is not just making a mistake but a deliberate plan to pretend, deceive and cheat. He is natural but artificial. He is dirty inside and clean outside. He could imitate the speech, mannerisms and conduct of character portrayed. It is like living iodine in the fridge. This is a great killer. Ananias and Sapphira deliberately told lies and tried to distort the truth. They changed the truth and presented it as if it was wrong. They were however exposed by GOD! AIM OF THIS LESSON: To study the faithfulness in the Church. Memory Verse: “He who works deceit shall not dwell in my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence,” Psalms 101:7

BIBLE TEXT: JOSHUA 7 : 1 - 26 1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying , Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up ; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted , and became as water. 6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said , Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content , and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

8 O Lord, what shall I say , when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies ! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round , and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? 10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up ; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned , and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen , and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies , but turned their backs before their enemies , because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more , except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Up , sanctify the people, and say , Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies , until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall comeman by man. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wroughtfolly in Israel. 16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and broughtIsrael by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken : 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken :

18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give , I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and makeconfession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done ; hide it not from me. 20 And Achan answeredJoshua, and said , Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done : 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 22 So Joshua sentmessengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them outbefore the LORD. 24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, tookAchan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said , Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called , The valley of Achor, unto this day.

BIBELE TEXT REVIEW: JOSHUA 7: 1-26 All of us have names, relations and relationships known to GOD including marital status – vs. 1 Only Achan sinned but the danger of the LORD was against the whole Israel - vs. 1 The spies concluded that the nation of Ai was small and could easily be defeated by Isreal – vs. 2 -3 The recommendation was followed but Israel suffered physical and emotional casualties – vs. 4 – 5 GOD deals with us generationally and when a man sins, his lineage sins (sometimes in the case of Achan, the nation sins) Exodus 20:5, 34:7; Proverbs 14:34 Joshua and the leaders became depressed – vs. 6 – 9 GOD revealed the secret sin – vs. 10 -11

The only solution was for sin to be put away in the camp – vs. 12 The one who sinned was identified as directed by GOD, vs. 13 – 18 Achan was confronted by his sin – vs. 20 – 21 Sin was finally put off from the camp and the people – vs. 22 – 26 There will always be liars who will survive but only for a period – vs. 6 – 10 The fear of the LORD is to depart from sin – vs. 11, Proverbs 3:7; 16:6 Miracles will happen when hypocrisy – vs. 12 GOD is never part of confusion and hypocrisy – vs. 12 One main we can learn from this is that hypocrisy can tarnish a Church, a nation and a lineage. (Read up the Revelation Churches).

CLASS TEST/ACTIVITY CAN YOU NAME PEOPLE IN THE PEOPLE WHO AFFECTED THEIR LINEAGE BY THEIR ACTIONS. WHAT DID THEY DO AND WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES?

All of us with our wonderful faces

WHY PEOPLE ENGAGE IN HYPOCRISY There will always be people who wants the honour of men rather than repent of their sins, and be good before GOD. 1 Sam 15:13, 20; 25 – 30. They want to be respected in the Church but secretly they are committing sins. They want their Pastor and leader to think that they are good but GOD sees their inside and knows better. People want to reap where they have not sown. Ananias and his wife wanted a similar praise that was given to Barnabas even though they were not as faithful, Acts 4: 34; Acts 5: 1 - 10 The urge to get rich by cheating, as a Christian, the means do not justify the end. This insults GOD’S intelligence. People who declare false records and inaccurate tithing fall under this category, Prov. 11:1

A major reason for hypocrisy is pride, glorifying self and putting the flesh first. JESUS CHRIST said that they love chief seats in Church and public places but cannot pay the price for being in this positions. Matt. 23:2, 6 To cover their inability to live a holy life. They give promises which they cannot keep. They make appointments and would have double booked themselves and cannot keep time appointments. Those who claim to operate “African time” are a good example. This is clear irresponsibility and it is of the devil. Matt. 5:37 Failure to love and keep GOD’S word. Luke 6:49

YOU CANNOT DECEIVE GOD You can deceive man not GOD. HE knows all things and can do all things. No one can hide from HIM. Psalms 139: 7 – 13 GOD KNOWS The secrets and deceits of the heart, Psalms 44:21, Jeremiah 17:9, 1 Samuel. 16:7 The thoughts of man, Psalms 94:11, 139:2, Isa 66:18 All hypocrisies. Ezekiel 12:1 -2 All the ways of man, Job 31: 4; Psalms 1:6

GOD IS NOT MOCKED GOD is not mocked, what a man sows he will reap, Gal. 6: 7– 8. The good thing is that the one who sows wind will reap whirlwind, Hosea 8: 7a Those that mocked GOD and the HOLY THINGS OF GOD They are cursed, Isaiah 29: 15 -16 They are desolate, Job 29: 34 – 35 They die before their time and are declared unclean before GOD. A good example is our Bible passage. Those who are dead physically are dead spiritually. Job 36: 13 -14 Their shame will not be hidden, Jer. 23:40 Hypocrisy is a sin and will not go unpunished. Pro11:21

Summary and Conclusion GOD hates hypocrisy and wants us to live above lies and deceits. Conclusion: Hypocrisy is a deadly sin that can kill and lead to hell. People give laws or say and preach what they cannot do. They give appointments they know they are not going to keep. GOD knows all hypocrisy because no one can hide from HIM. However, those who confess and forsake their sins will have mercy.

PRAYER Spend time with the LORD and talk to HIM that you do not want the sin of hypocrisy in your life. Tell HIM to reveal all areas of hypocrisy in your life and grant you the grace to forsake them.

May the LORD bless you as you keep HIS word Amen