You Might be a Pharisee if…

I’m sure you remember the iconic phrase made famous by Jeff Foxworthy some years back “You might be a redneck if…

• You ever cut your grass and found a car.
• You've ever used a weed eater indoors.
• You come home from the garbage dump with more than you went with.
• You fish in your above-ground pool, especially if you catch something!

These were just some to name a few. Recently, that phrase came to my mind while I was sitting in a revival waiting to speak. However, the word “redneck” was exchanged for “Pharisee.” Within in minutes I was writing on a sheet of paper the following statements.

You might be a Pharisee if…

• Love your religion more than Christ.
• You don’t practice what you preach
• You judge everyone by outward appearance
• You elevate man-made traditions to equality with God’s Word

However, this religious sect who were comprised by the most self-righteous religious leaders of the day were

• Religious but lost.
• They were good at converting people to religion but not to Christ.
• Good at making monuments and museums of the past but not life in the present.
• They couldn’t recognize Christ or an ordained move of God.

Pharisees were long on talk and short on practice. Jesus said: "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not after their works: for they say, and do not" (Matt. 23:3).

Pharisees majored on minors. Jesus said that they "left undone the weightier matters" and "strained out the gnat, and swallowed the camel" (Matt. 23:23-25). Brings new life to the old saying “making mountains out of mole hills.”

I could go on and on about the Pharisee but the bottom line is that they were the epitome of hypocrisy. If they simply would have been sincere worshipers of the true and living God then all the infectious spiritual disease they were propagating would have been averted. However, their pride crushed any opportunity for humility to gain a foothold and they continued injecting their poison of man-made religion into the masses. People were turned off by their pompous rituals without life, and their attitude of arrogance sickened and repulsed those who otherwise may have come to the true God of Israel.

I began thinking of today, and wonder why more people are not wanting or receiving this wonderful free gift of salvation. It doesn’t take long to realize that the spirit (attitude – disposition) of the Pharisee is alive and well today. Is it possible these attitudes and characteristics that are listed above are still resident among God’s people? How many times do we judge the outward appearance and it hinders our response to that individual? How often has sinners said about the church “they talk one thing but they don’t live it.”

I am thoroughly convinced that we hold the keys to opening the love of God to the masses of unsaved people in our communities. When we speak the Word in Love – what does that actually mean?

It means we:

• speak the truth without compromise
• realize our human weaknesses and it translates into such compassion towards them
• see them as more precious and valuable than anything else in the world
• guard our own life and practice what we preach

If we DO these things, the faucet of Phariseeism will be turned off and the true love of God will flow like a river. It will sweep the sinners into its flow of love and a true lasting revival will ensue.

A Willing Heart

Psalm 110:3 (KJV)
³ Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

The word “willing” here means “volunteer, freewill offering, willing, and plentiful.” Look at the following verses using this same concept.

Exodus 25:2 (KJV)
² Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

Psalm 54:6 (KJV)
⁶ I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

Many times while preaching, the temptation to force people into compliance is ever present. Pastors will tell you that one of the leading frustrations of ministry is the lack of willingness in many to participate in doing the ministry and sharing the responsibility of the gospel. People can be manipulated into obedience by being guilt riddled by a fiery condemnation or embarrassed by the shame. However, the Lord is interested in the person making up their mind clearly, being inspired by an inward desire and “want to.” We as ministers are to present the truth, facts, and the case, but then it is up to the individual to make up their own minds. We can’t

• force
• manipulate
• spiritually whip
• taking out our frustration on them by brow beating them with the Word

Where the motivation to do service for God comes from, determines the success of the person as well as the rewards given.

Luke 18:11-14 (KJV)
¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
¹² I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
¹³ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Notice that what the Pharisee did was not wrong. Praying, fasting, and giving, are good things but it was the motivation that was wrong. His motivation came from looking pious and holy in the eyes of people. If you would have taken away the audience and his self-importance, he would not have prayed, fasted, or gave. His love for God was not willing based on a loving intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, but came from a place of pride and self-exaltation. The spiritual success and rewards were completely different for the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee left church spiritually impoverished and no rewards, while the tax collector left church spiritually rich and rewarded by God promotion.

Let’s pray until our hearts become willing to do anything God wants us to do. May we come to the place that long before the offering plate comes by, our hearts already gave willingly and with great excitement. Instead of praying because its something we should do, let’s pray because of wanting to and desiring more of Him. When it is time to fast, instead of doing it simply because someone told us to, let’s do it because of why Jesus said it should be done. The Lord said when the bridegroom would be taken away, then they would fast in those days. This was the result of an inward desire to want close fellowship. That is much different than the Pharisee doing it out of mere ritual.

I wonder what God could do with one or more willing hearts?

In the past he

• brought down the walls of Jericho
• sustained a widow woman through a severe drought
• fed 5000 people
• brought countless revivals throughout history

Romans 12:1 (KJV)
¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What could He do with you? 

Helping Me on the Inside!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (KJV)
⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

 2 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV)
¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Never judge what’s happening in me by what’s happening to me outwardly.

The opposite of what you see happening around me is happening in me.

• You may see me being torn down outwardly but I am being renewed and built up inwardly.
• You see me going through demonic attacks outwardly but I am being developed by the Holy Spirit inwardly!
• I may be weakened physically outwardly but I’m being strengthened inwardly!
• I may be being humbled outwardly but I am being lifted up inwardly!

Look at Jesus for an example:

• On the cross, he looked weak physically, but he was as strong as he had ever been on inside.
• In the Garden of Gethsemane his body was exploding corpuscles through the sweat glands…. Looking weak… but he was rising up on the inside and he overcame!

Satan controls much of this world’s activities through the fallen will of man. He creates adverse circumstances and uses people to perpetuate his plan of destruction concerning your life. However, as Christians, we are under the control of the Holy Spirit on the inside. Everything Satan has designed to bring about failure in your life is reversed in it’s effects by the Spirit of God. Hardships may bring about a weakness in your physical strength or body, but it’s purpose changes when it comes to your spirit. As the body gets weaker the spirit gets stronger.

Fasting is a good example as well. As you abstain from food, your body gets weaker but simultaneously the spirit-man is getting stronger.

Now you know what is meant when Paul said in

2nd Cor. 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

If you are facing hardship, surrounded by adversity, being attacked by gossip, and enduring opposition on every hand, then let patience have her perfect work. You will be stronger on the inside when you come out the other side.