But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he
exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you
live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to
each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means
nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very
stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots
of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped
down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize with water those who repent of their
sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so
much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate
the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the
threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with
never-ending fire.” Matthew 3:7-12 (NLT)
If
we are not careful we can very easily be counter among the Pharisees and
Sadducees. Let me explain. After you have walked with the Lord for some
time and have attended numerous worship services, bible studies, seminars and
the like, there is a tendency to become calloused of heart. A callous on your
hand doesn’t happen overnight. It is the toughening of the skin that has been
in use often, doing about the same thing until that skin becomes thicker and
harder, protecting that part of your hand. It can be a painful experience but
when complete you are able do the work without having to stop, think or even
notice that your hand now has callouses.
Here
is what it could look like for us. You go to a worship service and complain
(maybe to another but usually to yourself) that was a “flat” service. The songs
were weak, the message… I heard before, and the people in my row weren’t very
friendly. Hear this: It wasn’t the
service that was flat… it was YOU. We go to worship God not be entertained, not
to get a “warm fuzzy “, or even to be spiritually challenged. It is all about
glorifying Him and not us. Now we can glean the above expressions but they are
tertiary. When we have the attitude
of “I know this already”, or “I got
nothing out of it”, or my favorite, “I wasn’t fed” know that you have a
calloused religious leader heart. (It is “Sad-u-See”) Just like the religious
leaders we can hear it all, know it all, and have done it all. We have the attitude
“we are safe, we are children of Abraham, (Christians)”. So how to safeguard against Pharisaism and
callousness of heart?
·
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where you have
become calloused, where you have become hard to what the Spirit would say to you
in prayer, quiet time, through the worship service, small group and in
fellowship.
·
Repent of anything that He reveals to you. Don’t
be hypocritical or simply go through the motions.
·
Prove by the way you live that you have repented
of your sins and turned to God
·
Remember: you and I are one bad decision away
from sabotaging our faith, our relationships, and our positive influence in
others.
·
Allow the Holy Spirit to sift you. Removing the
chaff from your life and revealing the wheat
·
Ask the Holy Spirit to baptize (immerse) and
purge you in Him. To remove the spiritual dross and fill you fresh and
overflowing
·
Humbly approach God and others with the attitude
of a servant, knowing that you are unworthy to even untie each other’s
shoelaces.
No
matter how long you have been in the game, no matter your position or status
you and I are entitled to nothing. We can only claim those things that are
promised in His Word. (See Phil. 2)
