Seven Small Group Bible Study L E S S O N T W O lying tongue The phrase lying tongue can be equated with being a deceiver. To deceive it so to mislead by a false appearance or statement. So, it is safe to say that hypocrisy is the same as a lying tongue. Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing. Edmund Burke We don t often view lying and hypocrisy as being the same. Yet both involve untruths. When we lie, we speak something that isn t true in hopes that the hearer will believe it to be true. When we demonstrate hypocrisy, we claim beliefs that our lives fail to support. Truth is a big deal because God is the essence of truth; there is nothing false in Him. Untruth always has a detrimental effect on our relationships with God and with other people. This is true about our lifestyles, as well. We live in a culture where truthfulness isn t really expected and lying is excused. Politicians, celebrities, sports stars, business owners, friends, and neighbors understand that lying has few social consequences. So, we are in the habit of telling people what they want to hear; it doesn t matter if it s true or not. This attitude becomes a problem when we start believing that God doesn t expect truth. Therefore, many church-going people tell Him what they think He wants to hear. Then they go out and live the way they want. There is a tragic disconnect between what we say to God on Sunday and how we live on Monday. Acts 5:1-11 Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look like, instead of trying to be, what one is not. George MacDonald Ananias and Sapphira were husband and wife. As was normal in those days, their names were significant. Ananias means the Lord is gracious. Sapphira was Aramaic for beautiful. At the end of Acts 4, Luke (the author of Acts) describes how serious the early believers were about their relationship with God. They shared their possessions and some people even sold their property and gave the money to the apostles so it could be used in ministry (4:34-35). In verses 36-37, we see Joseph, a Levite, do the same thing. Why would people sell their property and give the money to ministry? Look back at Acts 4:31. The Holy Spirit transformed their lives. Because God was at work in them, they had a new perspective on their stuff. It wasn t theirs any longer. This is a common occurrence when God moves in and takes over a person s life. How is your perspective on life being changed by the Holy Spirit s work in your life? What keeps your relationship with God from becoming strong enough for Him to impress you to do something that others might view as outrageous? Ananias and Sapphira saw what was happening in other people s lives. They were church members. They felt the social pressure to do what the other church members were doing. What would people think if they didn t act spiritual? As long as they did what the serious believers did, no one would know the difference, would they? This is a troubling story with a serious parallel to our church culture. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to insert a little faith into their lives. They wanted to be a part of the church, but wanted to keep God out of their daily lives. In other words, they pursued the role of the modern day hypocrite they exhibited a public persona that their private lives denied. This is where many people in the church are today. This is where many [1]
people in your group are today. It might even be that this is where you are today. This lesson will be a chilling reminder of the fact that God expects total commitment from all believers. Those we often characterize as the spiritually elite are really the ones who get it. Everyone else is just playing the same deadly game as Ananias and Sapphira. Ananias didn t anticipate any consequences. This was a winwin for everyone. He gave some and kept some. If those who had sold everything knew what he did, they would be so jealous because Ananias figured out a way to beat the system. This fully devoted to Jesus stuff was way overrated, right? Deliberate Deception Blinded by the mask (Acts 5:1-2). Hypocrisy is defined as wearing a mask or playing a part. It is the deliberate attempt to deceive someone. In the church, hypocrisy happens when we try to make people believe we are more spiritual than we really are. You might have visited a movie set and been amazed at how realistic the city scene looked. Upon closer examination, you discovered that the buildings were nothing more than flat panels that were designed to trick the audience. Ananias saw what was happening. People he knew sold their property and gave the money to the apostles to use in ministry to the community. Ananias had joined the organization but he had no desire to get that carried away. However, he wondered what others would think if he didn t do what they did. So, he devised a plan a plan his wife knew all about. He had some property he could sell. He would do exactly what everyone else did, except he planned to keep a little of the money for himself. What could be wrong with that? So, he carried out the plan. He sold the property, collected the money, stashed some of the money, and took the remainder of the money to the apostles. From the outside, it looked as if Ananias did the same thing we see done at the end of chapter 4. Ananias had to feel good about himself. He played the part of a fully devoted follower of Christ, except he kept things under control. He didn t get too carried away. Who could possibly know what he was doing? The only other person aware of his scheme was his wife and she wasn t talking. In what ways are you tempted to try to look like something you re not? What was wrong with the reasoning of Ananias? Deception Discovered A good plan turns bad (Acts 5:3-6). Things didn t go the way Ananias planned. Peter knew Ananias was being deceptive. How did Peter know? The Holy Spirit living inside Peter confirmed the sin of Ananias. So, why was lying about giving to the church a big deal? Ananias didn t just decide to lie; he was under the influence of Satan. Obviously Ananias had become part of the organization without having experienced the renewing of the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira put up a holy front to conceal their sinful lives. They wanted all of the benefit of being associated with the early church but none of the responsibility. As far as they were concerned, the more committed members of the faith community could carry the financial load and serve in ministry positions. They weren t interested in doing anything more than the absolute minimum. What is the absolute minimum people today think God expects of them? What is the biblical basis for your response? In his commentary on Acts, Warren Wiersbe explains it this way: It is worth noting that the Lord judges sin severely at the beginning of a new period in salvation history. Just after the tabernacle was erected, God killed Nadab and Abihu for trying to present false fire to the Lord (Lev. 10). He also had Achan killed for disobeying orders after Israel had entered the Promised Land (Josh. 7). While God was certainly not responsible for their sins, He did use these judgments as warnings to the people, and even to us (1 Cor. 10:10-11). [2]
Ananias had a flippant attitude toward his relationship with God. He felt no need to deal honestly with God or to be honest with Peter. Peter called out Ananias for lying to God. This is always the real issue in hypocrisy. People believe they are fooling other people when they are really lying to God about their love for Him. Immediately after hearing Peter s words, Ananias died and was carried away to be buried. Quick burials were common in hot climates. Was God s punishment of Ananias too harsh? Why? If Ananias received this punishment for faking it one time, what should God s attitude toward us be? Guilt by association (Acts 5:7-11). Three hours after Ananias died, his wife Sapphira showed up. We aren t sure why three hours passed; we just know it happened. She was totally unaware that Ananias had died. So Peter gave her an opportunity to be honest. She failed to take advantage of that opportunity. Sapphira lied about the price of the land. Peter chastised her for conspiring with her husband to deceive others and lie to God. Then he pointed out the men who had just returned from burying her husband. Peter told her that those same men would carry her to her grave, as well. Sapphira died and was buried beside her husband. As a result, great fear rippled throughout the church. Everyone probably realized they had been guilty of lying. But that wasn t the issue. Ananias and Sapphira weren t punished because they failed to live up to an ideal; they were punished for lying about the quality of their relationship with God. They were killed because they publicly claimed to be something they really weren t. No wonder the church was scared. We should be scared, too. We live in a culture where people have completely disconnected their personal lives from their religious front. They aren t bothered by their lack of support for God s church. They are spiritual consumers looking for the best deal. They have never given much thought to helping carry the ministerial or financial load; they just want church to be available (with childcare provided at no cost) whenever they choose to show up. Ananias and Sapphira reveal three characteristics of the modern day hypocrite: 1. They are energized by Satan. If Satan cannot defeat the church from the outside, he will work overtime on the people on the inside. He will convince them that they really don t need to study their Bibles. He will distract them with things of the world. He will allow them to believe they are saved and let them participate in religious activity so he has an advocate inside the organization. They will begin to focus on what the church can do for them. They demand and disrupt because they really don t have the Holy Spirit living inside them. When God killed Ananias and Sapphira He reminded everyone that He would not tolerate deception among His people. 2. They are motivated by pride. Go back to lesson one and you ll see just how dangerous this sin is. The church probably celebrated the generous offerings that came from the people described at the end of chapter 4. Satan likely whispered in their ears, You can get that kind of glory, too. You can make others think you are that spiritual. Because they were not spiritually grounded, they gave in to Satan s temptation. Spiritual weakness is no match for Satan s schemes. 3. Their sin is directed against God s church. Ananias and Sapphira likely were believers. The spiritual temperature of the young church was so high that non-believers would not have been accepted into the fellowship without experiencing salvation. The church was established by God for His purposes; therefore, God couldn t allow deception to be accepted. If God killed everyone in the church who was guilty of not living out the beliefs they professed, who would be left? [3]
Robbing God of money wasn t the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. The money didn t belong to them; it was God s. He could take it if He wanted. He can do the same with the money He entrusts to us today. Their sin was their attempt to deceive God and to rob Him of His glory. They didn t have to sell the property. When they sold it, they didn t have to give all the money to the apostles. Their sin was hypocrisy they deceived people into believing they were something they knew they were not. Now What? When the people in the church saw what happened to Ananias, they were seized with fear. That fear was multiplied when Sapphira suffered the same fate. So, who should be afraid today? The same people who were afraid then should be afraid now the fakers, deceivers, hypocrites. People who want to be viewed as religious without letting God change their lives from the inside out should be afraid. God has no patience for the deceivers and He will do whatever it takes to protect His church from Satan s schemes. As a leader, you have an increased responsibility because your life influences the lives of others. You are a spiritual mentor or coach. The people in your group even the ones who haven t attended in a long time are your responsibility. You must lead in such a way that the fakers within the group are made to feel uncomfortable. This is how God will work on them. We can t eliminate the hypocrisy in the lives of others until we take an honest look at our own lives. Are you robbing God of His glory? Are you calling people to live totally committed to Him? Are you an example worthy of being followed? Coaching Lesson Two Read Proverbs 6:16-19 and call attention to the second thing God detests a lying tongue. Ask: What do you think the writer means by the phrase a lying tongue? Call for responses. Read and summarize what was happening in Acts 4:34-37. Discuss the following questions: How is your perspective on life being changed by the Holy Spirit s work in your life? What keeps your relationship with God from becoming strong enough for Him to impress you to do something that others might view as outrageous? Deliberate Deception Read and discuss Acts 5:1-2. Use some or all of the In what ways are you tempted to try to look like something you re not? What was wrong with the reasoning of Ananias? Deception Discovered Read and discuss Acts 5:3-6. Use some or all of the What is the absolute minimum people today think God expects of them? What is the biblical basis for your response? Briefly discuss the three characteristics of modern day hypocrites. Read and discuss Acts 5:7-11. Use some or all of the If God killed everyone in the church who was guilty of not living out the beliefs they professed, who would be left? [4]
Now what? Everybody lies at some point in life, right? That s not what this lesson is about. Hypocrisy is intentional deceit. This is when we know our lives and what we claim to believe don t line up and we do nothing except keep up the masquerade. This isn t a random condition; this is more commonplace in today s church than we might believe. Otherwise, how can we explain the lack of evidence of spiritual maturity in the lives of people attending church? They are interested in avoiding hell, but not interested in letting God change their lives. Some of those people are staring at us in the mirror. As you close the session, discuss the following questions: In what ways are you hypocritical? Does your personal hypocrisy bother you enough to make some changes? If so, what changes will you make? If not, you need to think seriously about the authenticity of your relationship with God. [5]