[b]50 Marks Of A Pharisee[/b]
[i]by brother Greg[/i]
[i]This message was taken 100% from a sermon message by Zac Poonen. Elaborations on each point are my notes but the titles for each Characteristic of a Pharisee are from the orginal message.[/i]
Jesus was in conflict with the Pharisees most of the time. Pharisee-ism is one of the leavens Jesus warned about Mark 8 and Matthew 16. The Pharisee had all their doctrine correct and even talked of holiness. The Herodians were the opposite they were worldly, like modern “worldly Christian’s”. They could listen to powerful sermons and then go home and just as easily watch garbage on TV. The third group was the Saducess. They don’t believe in the miraculous. They didn’t believe in angels or the super-natural and spiritual. These represent 3 groups of Christians In our time. It is interesting to see that Jesus was always rebuking and opposing the Pharisee’s. They were the ones who crucified Jesus.
Which group do you fall into?
The Pharisee’s are the worst type of Christian on the earth! We need to understand the characteristics of the Pharisees. We need God to open our eyes. I am going to go through the gospels looking at this theme. Lets reconize that the spirit of the Pharisee is against the Holy Spirit. I have personally sought over the last few years to find the Pharisee in me. God give me light on myself has been my prayer! God wants to clean you of all pharisism totally! Let's look at the 50 characteristics in the gospels during our short time together:
1. A Pharisee glorifies in his connections with Godly men.
Read: Matthew 3:9 "And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
There are many who connect with someone as a form of Godliness. “We have so and so as our spiritual father.” They may have no holiness themselves. So they think are holy because they go to a good church or listen to the right preachers. I tell you that some that say these will go to hell. There are many people in hell that knew even personally many godly men but thoese godly men could not help them. Even being a part of a godly church or a church denomination will not save you at all!
2. A Pharisee glories in external righteousness.
Read: Matthew 5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certaintly not enter the kingdom of Heaven."
You must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisee’s. If you get angry and do not overcome it you will go to hell. The Pharisess had such an outward form of righteousness and appeared to all men to be very holy but they did not fool God. God saw that in their hearts they were wicked, hyprocritical and liars.
3. A Pharisee does not mingle with unconverted people.
Read: Matthew 9:11 "When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners'?"
Not associating with unbelievers is not holiness. Jesus was a friend of sinners – not a condemner of them but a savior. Jesus would have gone to an unconverted relative’s wedding reception. He did not avoid sinners, His righteousness was inside. How will you win sinners if you do not seek to be friendly with them. How many converted people in your church have been bought by you? Probably zero after 20 years. You are a Pharisee.
4. The Pharisee are ascetics.
Read: Matthew 9:14 "The John's disciples came and asked him, 'How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
They boasted of their fasting and such impressive external self control. Jesus made so much wine and He was not afraid to eat with people. Jesus started His ministry by making wine. He did it to demolish religion and the pharisee in His disciples. Many think they are holy but they are just hypocrites in God's eyes. They may think they are fooling everyone around them but they are not fooling God.
5. The Pharisees are very critical of others in small matters.
Read: Matthew 12:2 "When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
The Pharisees gloried in majoring on minor things. They knew so many rules and regulations that others did not consider imporant. They felt that righteousness was in being careful in the small matters. The church can become like the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. If the elder brother is legalistic the whole church will be. Do not follow a legalistic person.
6. The Pharisees live by rules.
Read: Matthew 12:9-10 "Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shrivelled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they sasked him, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'"
In our church you can’t do that!! They live by accusation. They feel everyone need to practice and belief the same way they do. Don’t follow such elders, you will destroy yourself and others. They had no inner reality of the Holy Spirit. They were led by rules and law. There is a big difference between a Spiritual man and a Keeper of the law.
7. The Pharisees are motivated by jealousy, hatred, murder.
Read: Matthew 12:14 "But the pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus,"
It is a progression. You may take only take step one. But it leads to others. The pharisee is always jealous of others that are more successful in ministry then they are. If God is blessing others they never are happy with it unless it helps them. This is Cain’s religion.
8. Pharisee are suspicious and assume the worst of others.
Read: Matthew 12:24 "But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, 'It is only by Beelzebub, the price of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.'"
When you see someone doing something and you assume the worst you are a Pharisee. Pharisees are extremely suspicious always looking for the wrong. You can never rest and trust others to God. Such Pharisees never have any joy over the work of God in others.
9. Pharisees are very careless in their speech.
Read: Matthew 12:24 "But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, 'It is only by Beelzebub, the price of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.'"
They said it about Jesus casting out demons. If you carelessly speak about God’s prophets you have the mark of a Pharisee. They will make large claims quickly without praying or thinking about the matter.
10. A Pharisee is one who neglects his family responsibilities in the name of religion.
Read: Matthew 15:3-6 "Jesus replied, 'And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honour your faither and nmother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have recieved from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not 'honour his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition."
Giving money to God when your family suffers. It says in Timothy: "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Such is a mark of a Pharisee more concerned for themselves then others even their family.
11. Pharisee is one who is easily offended.
Read Matthew 15:12-14 "Then the disciples came to him and asked, 'Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?' He replied, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father has no planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
May we ask God that we would not be offended by others. Jesus said, "blessed is the man that is not offended in me." When we are corrected by God or others in authority do we immediately get offended? Then we are a Pharisee.
12. Pharisees are spiritually blind.
Read: Matthew15:14 "Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
They don’t know where they are going. They are their own guides they really do not listen to God or others in authority. Here it talks of elders. Don’t follow a blind man. Look for a man who’s vision is clear. Who follows Jesus and not other men.
13. A Pharisee is a hypocrite.
Read: Matthew 16:6 "'Be careful' Jesus said to them. 'Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducess."
A Hypocrite means an actor. We have actors in the church now. Sunday morning is only an act for some pastors. After it is over they are back to their same old life. Pharisees are actors. And Jesus warns against this leaven. If we hear them sunday after sunday we will become like them. If we watch them on TV sunday after sunday we will become like them!
14. A Pharisee are those who seek to catch people in their words.
Read: Matthew 19:3 "Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
They did that to Jesus. If you always listen and take half sentences and repeat it you are a Pharisee. They make no allowances – their way is the only way.
15. A Pharisee is hard hearted.
Read: Matthew 15:8 "These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
A Pharisees Heart is far from God. When you are hard with people you are miles from God. A soft heart judges himself and leave others alone. There are lots and lots of such pharisees in churches.
16. Pharisees are people who cannot appreciate true worship in music and praise and worship.
Read: Matthew 21:15 "But when the cheif priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, 'Hosanna to the Son of David,' they were indignant."
They do not appreciate noise in music. Heaven is about worship. Pharisees want things in order so that they have control. There is nothing wrong with a desire for simplier music at times. But If we set rules on what is godly and not godly music that is a mark of a Pharisee. God looks primarly at the heart not at the instruments or sound.
17. Pharisee say things but don’t do them.
Read: Matthew 23:3 "So you must obey them and do everything tey tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach."
Pharisees have knowledge without obedience. Study Matthew 23 to know all about being a Pharisee. A lot of Christians stink of pride when they have maximum knowledge and no obedience. I have seen people in churches who act worse than those outside the church. Information won't help us unless we obey what we know. Don't have a stiff neck like the Pharisees.
18. Pharisees preach things without living it first.
Read: Matthew 23:3-4 "They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
Pharisees are teachers in God’s law but don’t live it. In Acts 1:1 you see that Jesus preached what he had already practiced. A good sermon takes 30 years to prepare. If you preach it without living it can be just for honor. You have to live it. Don’t speak on something you have not done. Their is a vast number of people in the church who are experts at telling people things they have never done. That is how you become a Pharisee.
19. Pharisees put heavy burdens on people.
Read: Matthew 23:3-4 "They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
“Tithe your time like money” a speaker said. I asked him if he did he said no. Many preach tithing and they don’t do it. They are building their own kingdom and not the work of God. Message translation says of this passage, the Pharisees: “Load you down like donkeys.” Many people are sick and tired of coming to churches were they are loaded down with commands that the preacher even never keeps!
20. Pharisees seek honor to be noticed by men.
Read: Matthew 23:5 "'Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their clothing wide and the edges of it long."
Many pharisees preach to get honor. Seeking honor is one of the things that is not spoken of in the church. You can never build the kingdom of God this way you will only build your own man-made kingdom. We must not seek honor from men but God Himself in our preaching and Christian living.
21. Pharisees think holiness is in the dress.
Read: Matthew 23:5 "'Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their clothing wide and the edges of it long."
Lengthened their garments. This Pharisee behavior oozes out of us. We have seen it and grown up in it. Holiness is not in a dress. You can have a sister wearing the most modest dress with terrible worldliness in her heart. Don't be decieved by such things. It might be good to wear modest clothing but do not believe your holiness is in such things.
22. Pharisees love position and places of honor.
Read: Matthew 23:6-7 "They love the place of honour at banquests and the most important seats in the synagogues. They love to be greeted in the market places and to have men call them 'Rabbi'."
Pharisees love to sit at the head table. Enjoying public honor. Many like to control others. The true place of leadership spiritually in the church of Jesus Christ is being a servant of all. The most esteemed should be the lowest in the body. Such thinking is replusive to Pharisees.
23. Pharisees corrupt others.
Read: Matthew 23:15 "Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hyprocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."
This is a great tragedy in Christendom. Young people come in and see them with lights on their platform and think I will get that one day. They have been corrupted. They are lead astray. Let us not follow the way of Pharisees but be content with the small things God has for us to do!
24. Pharisees take advantage of poor people.
Read: Matthew 23:14 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hyprocrites! You devour widows houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely."
Pharisees exploit widows. They come on TV and used physcological arguements to get money. They have their own private jets. It is absolutely evil. Jesus's warning of "woe" is no light matter. May we not be a Pharisee in such as way as this!
25. Pharisees are people who pray long prayers in public.
Read: Matthew 23:14 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hyprocrites! You devour widows houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely."
Pharisees have long impressive prayers in public but in private they have no private prayer life.
26. Pharisee make people feel they are born again when they are not.
Read: Matthew 23:15 "Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hyprocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."
Pharisees make their converts, double people of hell. They have gone through a mantra and think they are going to heaven. This type of Christianity that asks only for a small prayer to be saved is wrong. I will tell them they are going to hell. We must speak of repentance.
27. Pharisees interpret scripture without revelation from God.
Read: Matthew 23:16 "Woe to you blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'"
Pharisees add their modifications. They do not see the inconsistency of it. They add to the Word of God and mingle their legalism with God's pure intentions. Do we not see how evil this is? God says emphatically in the Revelation that such will not enter the Kingdom of God who add to Gods word.
28. Pharisees are sticklers for the letter of the law.
Read: Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hyprocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter without neglecting the former."
Pharisees neglect mercy, grace and faithfulness. They major on minor issues. They don't focus on the major things.
29. Pharisees have no justice, mercy, faithfulness.
Read: Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hyprocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter without neglecting the former."
This is what is happening in lots of our churches. Most pastors are like Pharisees in this way that do not emphasis what is the most strong on God's heart. May we endavour to be like Jesus Christ in this area. His hardest words were against the Pharisees themselves. But He had words of mercy and love for other sinners. Religious sinners are God's worst enemy. They are the one's that crucified the Son of God.
30. A Pharisee strains our mosquito’s and screens out camels.
Read: Matthew 23:24 "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."
Small things Pharisees pick out when there are other larger things that should be focused on. We are producing Pharisees in many churches. We need to judge ourselves more. Love is the key to keeping away from being a Pharisee in this area. If you are focusing on small matters while ignoring the larger issues you are a Pharisee.
31. Pharisees cleanse the outside life.
Read: Matthew 23:26 "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."
Inside is greed. Do you want more and more and more? Pharisees don’t bless others. They don't give easily to others unless it can benifit them.
32. A Pharisee says “I would never have done that.”
Read: Matthew 23:30 "And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'"
Pharisees don’t know the corruption of their own flesh. Pharisees are like a scab that looks good but squeeze out all the puss and you see the real situation. They always claim they would do better if they were in the shoes of others but they never live like that themselves.
33. Pharisees persecute God’s prophets.
Read: Matthew 23:34 "Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will glog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town."
Pharisees get offended when they hear a prophet. If you get offend with prophets you are a Pharisee. We should judge ourselves before looking at other people.
34. Pharisee fears about the opinions of people.
Read: Matthew 21:26 "But if we say, 'From men' - we are afraid of the people, for they all hold John was a prophet."
Pharisees care about what people think about them. Remember God gives us His word to give us light on ourselves. They are not free from the opinions of others. If you can see the Pharisee in yourself remove it! People are often in fear of their own group. Die to their opinion. Don’t let someone else run your life.
35. Pharisees love money.
Read: Luke 16:14 "The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus."
You cannot serve God and wealth. God gave us things to use and people to love. The world loves money and uses people. Some of the biggest legalists in our churches love money more then God.
36. A Pharisee thanks God that he is better than others.
Read: Luke 18:9-11 "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector.'"
The Pharisee prayed this to himself. “Lord I thank you I am not like my wife.” She may be a million miles better than you! Spiritual pride is like an onion. There is another layer underneath. There are 2 sins that we will never be free of till Jesus comes, pride and selfishness. But let us never be content where we are at. God will keep working on us in these areas..
37. Pharisees puts their trust in their own works.
Read: Luke 18:9 "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable."
If you are proud of some good quality about yourself it is self-righetousness. We can’t produce our own righteousness. Your own righteousness stinks in God’s eyes. If you are proud of it, it proves you produced it. Pharisees love their own righteousness and rules they keep and others don't.
38. A Pharisee looks down on other people.
Read: Luke 18:9 "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable."
Pharisees view other people with contempt. I know what pride can do. It destroys. Heaven loves humility. God hates Pharisees. God hates the Pharisee in you.
39. A Pharisee exalts himself.
Read: Luke 18:9 "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable."
Don’t talk about things in front of other that may hurt them. Don't talk behind peoples backs that will harm their name that is gossip. Pharisees are always desiring to make themselves known amongst people. For they are not serving God but themselves and just using the things of God for their living and fame.
40. A Pharisee boasts about his achievements.
Read: Luke 18:12 "I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."
Pharisees boast about achievements. This is a major mark of a Pharisee. They do not keep their spiritual disciplines a secret but tell others so they can be esteemed.
41. Pharisees accuse other people.
Read: John 8:1-11 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a women caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery."
This story shows that legalism is worse than adultery! If we can see that in this story we will be set free. If you want to make progress stop judging others! Judge yourself!
Why did the Pharisees all go away? They should have repented.
42. Pharisees imagined God was their father, when their father was the devil.
Read: John 8:44 "You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murder from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
The height of blindness it to judge and accuse and think you are with God. There is hypocrisy everywhere in churches today. Especially amongst even some of the most supposedly godliest churches.
43. A Pharisee is a liar and murderer.
Read: John 8:44 "You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murder from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
They wanted to murder the woman with stoning. If you daughter fell into sins would you tell people. When people start to backslide they start to lie. When you lie your tongue is of the devil
44. Pharisee persecute those who wont listen to them.
Read: John 9:34 "To this they replied, 'You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!' And they threw him out."
Pharisees have a great desire to put people out of the church. Your goal must always be to win them. Don't wait for an opportunity to put them out if you are doing this you are a Pharisee.
45. Pharisees are Jealous of those who can do miracles that they can’t do.
Read: John 11:47 "Then the cheif priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. 'What are we accomplishing?' they asked. 'Here is this man performing many miraculous signs."
Don’t talk about it miricales. Don't boast in them. Keep it quiet. Even pilot knew that Jesus did miracles. But Pharisees shun miricales if they do not promote their own group.
46. A Pharisee judges even Godly people that do not keep their rituals.
Read: John 9:16 "Some of the Pharisees said, 'This man is not from God for he does not keep the Sabbath."
Don’t test a man’s godliness on keeping specific rules. Are their lives more like Christ in character is what is important! People who have done nothing for God often criticize. For all they do is critize Gods work and never accomplish it themselves.
47. A Pharisee can’t live by simple faith.
Read: Matthew 12:39 "He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'"
Pharisees cannot live by faith and trust the promises of God. They are sensual and worldly inside and need to walk according to the ways of the world. But they have a great show and appearance of godliness on the outside.
48. Pharisees has no concern for lost sinners.
Read: John 7:49 "Has any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in him?'"
Pharisees only care to keep people under their control. They do not desire liberty for anyone. They want people to know the law and learn about God. But never to experience the true freedom of knowing God in relationship. Pharisees usually only convert other religious people and never sinners who need to be saved.
49. Pharisees value tradition more than God’s word.
Read: Mark 7:1-13 "So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, 'Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean hands?'"
Pharisees care more for traditions and man-made rules then the clear commands of the word of God.
50. A Pharisee justifies himself.
Read: Luke 16:15 "He said to them, 'You are the ones who justify themselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."
Pharisees cannot admit they have failed. They cannot allow God to be their defence they must defend themselves. They love to be admired before men so anything that makes them seem like others distrurbs them. They don't realize truly what God loves and what He hates. Therefore they do the things God hates.
Are You A Pharisee? May God give you light on yourself and any areas of your life that has some of a Pharisee spirit in it. God purge us from all Pharisee-ism and grant us the heart of Jesus our Lord in all things.
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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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