Woe Unto the Pharisees
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1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Introduction
Introduction
What is a Pharisee?
The Word Pharisee means “separated”.
They were the closest thing to what Jesus taught among all the different groups of Jews.
They believed in the resurrection and were looking for the Messiah. (Contrast: Sadducees)
They were hypocrites. “Actors”
They acted out their religion, for they had a stony heart. 57-0120M - "The Impersonation Of Christianity"
They were legalists. Which means they kept the letter of the law, but not the Spirit of the law.
(Legalism leads to hypocrisy)
You can’t keep every letter of the law, so you make exceptions for your weakness instead of relying on the grace of God.
Illustrate: Parable of the debtor.
You can have the best rules, but if you don’t have Christ, they will be broken.
Illustrate: Garden of Eden
What they needed was Christ, the lamb.
The Pharisees were the best of their day, the closest to the real, and the least receptive as a group to the Message, though they interacted more with Jesus than any other group.
(Pentecostals, Oneness and Holiness groups)
They were the main instigators in the Crucifixion of Jesus.
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
They were the worst sinners in the city and Jesus reserves His harshest condemnation for them.
You might be ever so religious and never tell a lie, you might be such a church member, till all the neighborhood would say, “What a renowned person!” and still be a sinner in the sight of God. You’re not judged by that, it’s by your faith. “He that believeth not is condemned already.”
If righteousness is what pleases God, which it does, but all that God requires, the Pharisees were found blameless, but yet Jesus said, “Ye are of your father, the devil,” because they did not believe, that horrible thing of unbelief. 58-0503 - "The Queen Of Sheba"
Bro. Branham preaches about the woman who washed Jesus feet, and the Pharisee who condemned her, and says this:
There’s the sinner, not the woman, the Pharisee. Sin is unbelief. That woman was a believer. The Pharisee was all religious, but he was the worst sinner in the country. And it’s still the worst sinner the world has got…is the stiffy, starch, backslidden church, the pastor the same way. 56-0218E - "The Worst Sinner In The City"
We don’t want to be Pharisees. This was written for our example.
Why was Jesus so upset with the Pharisees?
1. Pharisees Close the Door.
1. Pharisees Close the Door.
They were not content with not going in themselves, they hindered others.
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.
The verb form here is in the present tense, implying that the Jewish leaders used every opportunity to keep people out of the kingdom and to keep the door permanently closed. They used their position as teachers to lock the door. Matthew B. First and Second Woes: Leading People Astray (23:13–15)
They gleefully shut the door, and reminded people why they couldn’t be saved. They wouldn’t even eat with sinners, but they were sinners themselves, full of unbelief.
How did they shut the door to the Kingdom of God?
Jesus said in John 10:9 “I AM the Door”.
They preached traditions and not Christ.
When we fail to preach Christ to a dying world, we shut the door in their face.
2. Pharisees are Pretenders
2. Pharisees are Pretenders
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 all about the money and the show.
In Mark chapter 12 Jesus makes this statement and immediately observes the widow dropping her two mites into the treasury. He said she put in more than they did.
There is many people out, even in the pulpit tonight, preaching, that oughtn’t to be there, because it’s more of a meal ticket, or to be popular amongst the people, or to have a little more than someone else has got, or have a few praise by somebody patting you on the back, or something. See, sometimes they become a priest.
Jesus said, “You devour widows’ houses, and desire the high seats, and, for a showing, make long prayers.” He said, “You will just receive that much more damnation for it.”
We mustn’t, never, get to that place. We must always remember that God wants us to be humble. The way up is down. Humble yourself, and you’re exalted. And if you exalt yourself, you will be brought to abased. 63-0803E - "Influence"
3. Pharisees Make Disciples after Themselves
3. Pharisees Make Disciples after Themselves
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.
A Proselyte is a Convert. they were zealous in converting people, but all they did was make more Pharisees.
(Bob Jones criticizing Billy Graham)
Billy Graham has done more for Kingdom of God in these few years he’s been on the field, than Bob Jones could do if he stayed here a million years longer.
But what does he say? “Billy Graham just only gets out and says, well, he ain’t got no denomination, take them to them.” God bless the man for that. Yes, sir. What do you do? You bring him in, make him a twofold child more of hell, he was, when you picked him up on the street.
The disciples never took them to any denomination. They got them filled with the Holy Spirit and into the Kingdom of God. And there the Holy Spirit taken over.
Now, but they said he done an indebtment to the church, by not let them all go into organization. I guess they all supposed to belong to Bob Jones College. Then they was really out of their line. Now, and all these here called, so-called fundamentalists, and all this stuff there. It’s nonsense.
What are we looking for, friends? What are we? The real Church is looking not for a denomination, not looking for a president, not looking for a genius to rise up. But they’re looking for a Kingdom and a King to come.
What is the Kingdom? It’s on earth now. It’s a Spirit, mystical Body of Christ. In There, they’ve come out of Presbyterian, Methodists, Pentecostals, and everything. They’re in this Kingdom. They’re born in There. They come in There by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and they’re in this Kingdom.
And we’re looking for a King to come to this Kingdom, that’ll set His Kingdom up here on the earth, on His throne, the throne of David. He shall rule and reign forever. That’s what the Church looks for. 63-0412M - "The World Is Falling Apart"
I’m afraid today that too many of us are not getting people to Christ. We’re getting them to a church, to a theory. But we must get them to Christ. He is the only One, and the only One that has Life. “He that has the Son has Life.” 65-0418M - "It Is The Rising Of The Sun"
4. Pharisees Valued the Wrong Things
4. Pharisees Valued the Wrong Things
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Your promise to God matters, whether it’s in a simple church or a home, whether it’s at the altar or in your heart.
It isn’t the ornateness of the building that saves you.
God sees your hand. You say, “What good does that do?” Oh, raise your right hand one time, to God, and find out what it does. Raise your right hand, in the courts, swear a lie, and see what happens to you, you’ll be caught by it.
Raise your hand to God and make an oath, and then watch if the Holy Spirit don’t catch you by it. When God is at your heart’s door, you make your decision. 56-0527 - "At Kadesh-Barnea"
We are saved by faith, alone, not by buildings or communion or listening to a tape or a preacher.
5. Pharisees Elevate Form or Opinion to the level of Scripture.
5. Pharisees Elevate Form or Opinion to the level of Scripture.
This is what was meant by “binding burdens you won’t bear yourself”.
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.
If that is your conviction, do it, but don’t omit the weightier matters of the law.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Every time a church become filled with Pharisees they begin to major on minors.
God cares about the little things, but don’t omit Judgment, Mercy and Faith.
(Bro. Joel reaching on Atmospheres)
You find people living by faith when you get into a place where it says, “My, why, the Bible is true. God heals.” You walk around their congregation, you find, “Why, I was dying with cancer. I was healed.” “I was once blind. I see.”
(Stranger comes in and someone testifies of their healing)
What is it? That Word in that church, that group of believers, has created that atmosphere.
Now, how is the Word, in Its simplicity but yet in Its completeness, ever going to grow in a place where knowledge overshadows That and says, “It can’t be so”? See? It can’t. So, where knowledge is preached from a seminary, the children die.
Where faith is preached from the Word, the children live. Amen. That’s the difference, just Life and death. 62-0401 - "Wisdom Versus Faith"
They strain at gnats of music and dress codes and doctrinal opinion, and neglect the preaching of faith, which is the only way people can be saved.
The main thing is get our children saved.
6. Pharisees Focus on Outward Holiness.
6. Pharisees Focus on Outward Holiness.
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.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Not one fruit of the Spirit is outward:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Illustrate: Young girl playing piano.
This same person had in his church a lady who had long hair and wore long dresses, and had a temper enough to fight a buzz saw, and just as mean as she could be. Now, long hair and long skirts don’t take you to Heaven. No, sir! It’s the Spirit that’s in you takes you to Heaven.
Then you should remember that many times pastors don’t mention those things and the people just automatically go on, think it’s all right. But a pastor should really tear into that.
And then the sisters of the church, those sisters who are in character standing, wearing their clothes neatly, they should be examples of sweetness, and motherly and sisterly-like.
And I think that any woman that’s motherly and godly and sisterly ought to go to such a person, and with sweetness of the Spirit, just sit down and talk to that lady.
And if she is of God, the Holy Spirit will understand those things, and she’ll correct herself. But when you real quickly condemn her and drive her away, you might harm that young, born baby. 61-0723E - "God Being Misunderstood"
Don’t throw it in their face, remember you were a sinner once. Woe unto the Pharisees that produce hypocrites by focusing only on external things.
7. Pharisees are Outwardly Beautiful, but Inwardly Dead.
7. Pharisees are Outwardly Beautiful, but Inwardly Dead.
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.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Hypocrisies and envies and strife, on the inside of them; outside, “I’m Doctor So-and-so.”
What is iniquity? Something you actually know is right and you won’t do it. 63-1110M - "Souls That Are In Prison Now"
God help me to live what I know to be the truth.
8. Pharisees failed to Recognize their Day and its Message.
8. Pharisees failed to Recognize their Day and its Message.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
They cry out for revival, but they persecute revival when it comes.
Why do they do that? They want a great awakening. They’re crying, believing that there will be awakening. They’re good people. Why is it? What have they done? They have not recognized the awakening of the Bride.
By being a Christian, they feel the pull of the hour, but they haven’t recognized what’s been done. That’s what’s making them feel that way.
They know something is supposed to happen, but, see, they’re looking for it way off in the future, to come, when it’s already happened right by you.
Blind leaders with blind followers, shutting the door to those who would come.
They just don’t get it. They don’t realize it. Much like the Jews of old times; blinded Laodicea; riches, theology, hostile with the Church, hostile towards the Message. 64-0726M - "Recognizing Your Day And Its Message"
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
If you believe the Thunders have not been revealed then you are waiting for a revival, but if you believe the Book is open, you are the revival.
The Bride hasn’t had a revival yet. See? There’s been no revival there, no manifestation of God to stir the Bride yet. See? We’re looking for it now. It’ll take those seven unknown Thunders back there, to wake Her up again, see. Yeah. He’ll send it. He promised it. 63-0320 - "The Third Seal"
What was prophecy is now history. The Bride is on the earth today.
Woe unto the Pharisees who fail to see the awakened Bride, either thinking its all over, or putting it all in the future, crucifying the present truth, God in His Bride.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Is there any hope for a Pharisee? Paul, by his own admission, was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. But he found grace.
If you find yourself with the tendencies of a Pharisee, repent, there is grace for the worst sinner in the city.
