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The Religious We are a Revived, Resurrected Church. We are at war with flesh, evil, and the world. Soon if not already, we will be at war with the religious. The Sadducees were the aristocrats of the time. They were the party of the rich and the high priestly families. They were in charge of the Temple and its services. In all our literature, they stand in opposition to the Pharisees. They sought to conserve the beliefs and practices of the past. They opposed the oral law, accepting the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, as the ultimate authority. The Sadducees were materialistic in their outlook. They did not believe in life after death or any reward or punishment beyond this life. They denied the existence of angels and demons. They did not believe that God was concerned with what people did. Rather, people were totally “free” to do what they wanted. They were politically oriented, supporters of ruling powers, i.e. the Romans. They wanted nothing to threaten their position and wealth, so they strongly opposed Jesus. These reject the power of the Spirit (Matthew 22:23-33). The name “Pharisee” means “the separated ones.” It may mean that they separated themselves from the masses of the people or that they separated themselves to the study and interpretation of the law. They appear to be responsible for the transformation of Judaism from a religion of sacrifice to one of law. They were the developers of the oral tradition, the teachers of the two-fold law: written and oral. They saw the way to God as being through obedience to the law. They were the progressives of the day, willing to adopt new ideas and adapt to new situations. They accepted all the Old Testament as authoritative. They affirmed the reality of angels and demons. They had a firm belief in life beyond the grave and a resurrection of the body. They were missionary, seeking the conversion of Gentiles (Matt. 23:15). They saw God as concerned with the life of a person without denying that the individual was responsible for how he or she lived. They had little interest in politics. They were experts in cases where people were accused of breaking the law of Moses. The Pharisees opposed Jesus because He refused to accept the teachings of the oral law. These know power of the spirit, yet limit it (Matthew 22:34-46). There are a people who are crying out in repentance. They are as John the Baptist “saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 3:2 (KJV) There is a great price placed upon this message: Mark 6:17-20 (KJV) “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. 19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” Religiousness works hand-in-hand with pride. These desire attention, not self-denial. They are those who do their own religious thing instead of what the Lord is saying. They speak when they don’t agree and they speak when they do always feeling that they must give their opinion. They know all the “don’ts” and can’t remember the “do’s.” 2 Cor 11:13-15 (KJV) “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” The prophetic voice in this country has come. It is bringing separation between the righteous and the religious. At the same time, the earth’s voice is crying out. 8 Woe’s in Matthew 23 are addressed to:
The religious will always be with us. Will we run? Will we take a stand? Truth sets people free. Jesus never stayed away from the religious. He wanted to talk to them. He offered truth. He spoke with authority, not in his own religiousness. May we be the voice in the wilderness “saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” -Pr. Chad Ross May Newsletter 2004 | A Calm Crisis | Identity Theft | Pastor's Journal May 2004 The Religious | Partakers: With Whom and Of What part 2 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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