Sermons on Phariseeism:

I Am The Door

Contributed by Mark A. Barber on Apr 3, 2018

This is one of the seven, actually eight, I AM statements of Jesus.

I AM the Door John 10:1-10 There are seven I AM statements in the Gospel of John. They are “I AM the Bread of Life;” “I AM the Light of the World;” “I AM the Door;” I AM the Good Shepherd;” “I AM the Resurrection and the Life; “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life” and “I AM the True Vine.” ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-10

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Rsvp Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 21, 2001

Why did Jesus heal the man with Dropsy? Was it merely a man who happened to be there at the banquet, or was there something more?

OPEN: A teacher at a privately run church school wanted to point out to her children how they should behave when they were at church. So she started out by asking the children what kind of rules that their parents might give before taking them to a nice restaurant. One second-grader excitedly ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:15-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Moving To The Head Of The Line Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 14, 2010

Jesus hated pride and used the Pharisees to highlight the evils of that sin. But why would God hate pride, and how would I know if I suffer from it?

Last Sunday we introduced the “Upside Down Teachings of Jesus”. The teaching of Jesus that just don’t make sense to most people. Today’s sermon will continue that theme by focusing on Jesus’ teaching: “the Last shall be First, and the First shall be Last”. OPEN: When my dad first married my mom, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jesus' Sermon On The Mount

Contributed by James Williams on Jul 24, 2015

Jesus' sermon explains in what ways our righteousness must surpass that of the Scribes and the Pharisees. This is the narrow path that leads to life. This is not just saying "Lord, Lord," but doing the will of God.

How’s your righteousness? At what level is your righteousness? That’s an important question. Listen to these words of Jesus in Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Lessons Learned Over Dinner

Contributed by Chad Bolfa on Oct 1, 2010

Tonight I want us to learn some lessons about people, and about ourselves, as take a peek at this passage as Jesus is an invited dinner guest at Simon the Pharisees house.

Lessons learned over Dinner Luke 7:36-48 Introduction As I mentioned a couple Sunday nights ago, we expect to learn lessons from the great prophets of the Old Testament; we expect to learn lessons from the Words of Jesus; we expect to learn lessons from the writings of the Apostle Paul. But we ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:36-48

Denomination: Baptist

When Things Don’t Work Out Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 7, 2016

what does Jesus have to say about divorce? In our Scripture today, the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

When Things Don’t Work Out Matthew 19: 1-12 Scott Grant writes about a Time Magazine article where Caitlin Flanagan observes that, while the divorce culture has become a fact of life over the past twenty-five years, the middle class has turned weddings into “overwrought exercises in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:1-12

Denomination: Methodist

The Parable Of The Tenant Farmers Series

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Nov 26, 2014

In response to the questioning of His authority by the scribes & Pharisees after His cleansing of the Temple, Jesus tells a parable. This parable summaries the whole of biblical history including the gospel story.

LUKE 20: 9-18 [PARABLES IN LUKE] THE PARABLE OF THE TENANT FARMERS [Isaiah 5:1-7 / John 12:35-43] In response to the questioning of His authority by the scribes and Pharisees after His cleansing of the Temple, Jesus tells a parable. This parable summaries the whole of biblical history ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:9-18

Denomination: Baptist

4 Hearts Of Stone And Handwashing Series

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Mar 14, 2020

Written in Midst of Coronavirus epidemic: The Pharisees criticized Jesus for not washing his hands correctly. But they had unclean hearts. In this time, what does it mean to have a clean heart

Mark 7:1-8 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) 7 Some Pharisees and some teachers of the law came from Jerusalem and gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw that some of his followers ate food with hands that were not clean, meaning that they did not wash their hands in a special way. 3 The Pharisees and all the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-8, Luke 11:37-41

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Majoring On Minors.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on May 18, 2024

As believers sometimes we get fixated on the minute. -The things that really don’t matter. We begin to major on the minors. That is actually what the Scribes and Pharisees did,

Majoring On Minors. Acts 19:1-9 As believers sometimes we get fixated on the minute. -The things that really don’t matter. We begin to major on the minors. That is actually what the Scribes and Pharisees did, they majored on the do’s and don’ts, and missed their renewal. -They majored on ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-9, Acts 2:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

Conflicts, Confession, And The Cost Of Discipleship, Part 1 ( Matthew 16:1-12)

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Aug 21, 2025

In this chapter, the Lord Jesus will yet again confront the Pharisees and Sadducees for their religious hypocrisy and Peter will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, which is the rock upon which the church will be built.

After feeding the 4,000 residents of the Decapolis, Jesus and His disciples traveled to the region of Magdala near the city of Caesarea Philippi. It is here where the Pharisees and Sadducees came together for the specific purpose of bringing down Jesus. Their mutual contempt for Him had woven ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:1-28, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-21, Luke 14:25-33

Denomination: Baptist

Barging In

Contributed by Michael Koplitz on Dec 10, 2024

A woman of a low class barges into a Pharisee's home to plead for forgiveness from Jesus. He grants her the request. It shows that the common Jews desired the Messiah!

Barging in Luke 7:40-50 Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H Koplitz 40 And Jesus answered, and said to him: Simon, I have something to say to thee. He said to him: Say it, Rabbi. Jesus said to him: 41 There were two debtors to a certain creditor; the one owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:40-50

Denomination: United Methodist

When Your Theology Bumps Into The Facts Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 16, 2021

A lengthy story about a man born blind provides a clear picture of what happens when your theology bumps into inconvenient facts. Will you reach for God or cling to your predetermined ideas?

SEEING THE LIGHT: The man was blind but saw by believing and obeying Jesus. - John 9:1-7. a. We’ll get more into the confusion in a moment, but the disciples echo the prevailing theology of the time and presume that someone must have sinned for him to be blind. - vv. 1-2. - It was a theology ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus & The Party Crasher Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 13, 2001

What did Simon intend to do by snubbing Jesus as he did, and what exactly was the woman doing there at the party?

Alan Calhoun, Bristol, Connecticut told of a tag sale (garage sale) he and wife had a year or so ago. They had decided to put out a mirror they’d received as a wedding gift. The reason they were selling it was that it had a gaudy aqua-colored metal frame and they just couldn’t find a room in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:36-50

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bullies And Braggarts Are No Better Than Anyone Else

Contributed by Craig Condon on Oct 8, 2015

Jesus does not like people who brag or think that they are better than other people. He said that in his coming kingdom those who think they are better than other people will be made humble, and those who are humble will be glorified.

Good morning boys and girls! Have any of you ever been bullied, teased or made fun of? It isn’t very much fun, is it? Believe me, I know the feeling because when I was your age I was bullied, made fun of and teased. Why do you think some people act like that? Have you heard anyone brag ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Anglican

Too Much Religion In The Wrong Place

Contributed by Michael Stark on Sep 12, 2019

Religion is the expression of one's faith put into practice. For many professed Christians, religion is all they have, because they don't have the faith of Christ the Lord. Too much religion will tend to lead us astray. Faith will lead us to Christ.

“When [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:7-10

Denomination: Baptist