The Pharisaical Mind Set! (Luke 15:1-2) Introduction: 1. One of the toughest barriers that we will ever face is “ourselves!” The Greatest enemy we will often face is “self!” 2. In our lesson today I would like to study with you about a very important subject, I have entitled this “The Pharisaical Mind Set” and what I mean by that is thinking and acting like a “Pharisee!” 3. Our Lord Jesus spent a great deal of His time rebuking and reporting on the Pharisees! a. Lets notice some passages (Mt. 6:1-18; 9:10-13, 32-35; 12:1-2, 14; 15:1-2; 16:1; 19:3; 21:23-46; 22:15-22, 34-46; 23:1-33) and on and on we could go! b. Now, in our lesson this morning we want to focus on “what” characterized them? 4. We want to like at them and then look at ourselves and ask have we developed a “pharisaical mind set?” Discussion: I. Understanding Fact from Fiction! A. I believe this is a major problem often times in the church, we need to be able to separate fact from fiction! (cf. 2 Tim. 4:1-5) 1. What they often saw as “fact was truly fiction” they could always see others as sinners, but never themselves! (Lk. 18:9-14 but the “fact” is that we are all sinners in need of a Savior! (Rom. 3:10-12 and 23) 2. The child of God must come to understand that none of us is righteous enough to go to heaven! (Cf. Is. 64:6) B. The Pharisees believed that just being the children of Abraham according to the flesh made them right with God, but this too was fiction and not fact! C. Notice with me the words of Jesus (Mt. 5:20) they had a self-righteousness, but no one is self-righteous (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17-21) 1. It is only the blood of Jesus that makes men right with God! (Rev. 1:5) 2. Notice with me (Js. 2:10) it only take “one” sin to make you a sinner and unrighteous! D. Jesus came to save men, but the Pharisees would not accept that they where lost! (cf. Mk. 2:15-17) II. Understanding Truth from Tradition! A. Now this one is sometimes tricky and we need to understand “why” we do things and not just “what” we do to get this right! B. The Bible does often command us to “keep the traditions” (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:15 cf. 2 Thess 3:6) 1. Now keep in mind that these are “inspired traditions!” 2. There are also many others that may be a judgement and we do them as a tradition! How many songs we sing, our giving being done right after the Lord’s Supper, ending with a prayer. C. The problem with the Pharisees is that they would put “tradition” before “truth!” (cf. Mt. 15:1-9; 23:23) 1. They would often major in the minors and minor in the majors! 2. They would allow their tradition to come before truth! D. We need to be willing to “always” stand up for truth, but lets make sure it is truth and not just “tradition!” E. As the old saying goes “In doctrine Unity, in opinion Liberty, in all things Love!” III. Understanding Self-Giving from Self-Getting! A. The Pharisees were only in it for themselves! When Jesus came on the seen and people started following Jesus and not them they got angry! B. All that they did was for “self-glory” (Mt. 6:1-16 and 23:1-7) 1. They were trying to receive glory from men, rather than trying to bring glory to God! 2. Do we only serve God to be seen of men, or do we serve God regardless if men see us? C. We serve a “self-giving” God (Jn. 3:16!) Are we more concerned with what we can “give” or with that we can “get?” (Cf. Act. 20:35) D. The Pharisees were religious for all the wrong reasons! E. Our good works are to bring glory to God and not to ourselves! (Mt. 5:16) Conclusion: 1. Truly the “Pharisaical Mind Set” is still effecting many people to day May we learn to distinguish these three things! a. Fact from Fiction! b. Truth from Tradition! c. Self-Giving from Self-Getting! 2. We are all equally in need of the blood and body of Jesus! We are all sinner in need of a Savior! 3. Have you come to believe in Jesus? Have you acted upon that belief and turned from sin and confessed Him before men and been baptized into Christ to be forgiven? Are you living for Jesus? 4. If you are a child of God have you developed “A Pharisaical Mind Set?” Are you always seeing others sin, but never seeing your own sins?
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:21:32 +0000
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