Preached August, 1999 at Faith Baptist Church
By Pastor Steven E. Mays


"The Pharisee's"

When I went off to Bible College, on more than one occasion I was called a Pharisee or I heard someone called a Pharisee.

I want to take a text that addresses them more than about any other..


Turn with me to..

Matthew 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Matthew 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

95 times in the NT we have the Pharisees being named... who are they and what are they..

I. The People being pinned down

A very religious bunch

They tithed

They fasted

They were in Church every Sunday

They didn't want to be associated with the wrong things...

II. The Problem they possessed

They were religious but they were not Right with God. They were dead!


Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Because they were dead, they never did grow! Ever notice what makes the real thing grow, will kill the fake thing. Strong fertilizer and some some light and some rain will strengthen fescue and Bermuda but it'll shore kill crab crass and a bunch of other weeds... One had got real roots the other doesn't!

Their was nothing on the inside!

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

They operated out of Pretense

Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

They were superficial... outside before inside..

Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

I believe you ought to clean the outside up.. dress right, live right, etc. But it all starts with the heart!

They got offended at what others got blessed by..

Matthew 15:12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them...
Ps. 119:165

They fostered no love for sinners.

Matthew 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

AS long as I'm right with God, we'll be going after Sinners. If you're right with God you'll be helping. But let me tell you what the Pharisees will be doing... they'll be questioning... they don't like sinners.. because they forgot what big sinners they are!

They were agitated by those with a desire to reach the lost and be led of the spirit of God.

God is going to see to it that you are agitated at different times... you know what happens when you get agitated.. you show your true colors

III. The Products they produced

Children of Hell. ---

A lot can be said about something by what it produces.... remember everything produces after it's own kind.

Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

They Preached one thing and lived another...

Luke 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Undermined the Lord's work!

Matthew 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

Matthew 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

Name calling...

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Highly Critical of those who didn't observe their Traditions

Matt. 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Came to meeting to get something on the someone..
instead of to GET SOMETHING!

Matthew 22:15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

What did you come to Church looking for? You'll find what you came looking for. The Pharisees came to trap the Lord, when they couldn't trap him by anything he said, That didn't stop them, they found someone who would lie about what he said.

IV. The Prescription that was Pronounced

Beware of them!

Matt. 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Someone might wisely ask.. what's the point of the message? Expose the Pharisee attitude and practice. One thing evil can't stand is Light... The cockroaches run when the light goes on...

I don't want a church full of Pharisees....

Dealt with Harshly!

Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

1. Because of God's great displeasure
2. Because God wanted others to see what he was doing..
3. Because they didn't intimidate the Lord - Why do Lions Roar? To intimidate...

Quote Handley Milby --
Three things wolves doesn't like.. fire, watch dog, shepherd that doesn't fear them howling

Repent!

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Hell.

SELF Righteousness sends more to hell than everything else...





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