Author Archives: Tree of Life Church

One of the things that will mess up your life no matter what you are called to do is having the wrong priorities. I see this a lot. People prioritize things that are unimportant and important things do not get done. Jesus talked a lot about this, and you can always tell when Jesus isContinue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 17: Not Putting First Things First 01 Not Putting Relationships First”

One of the things you notice as you read the gospels is that Jesus Christ was a friend of sinners. So much so that the other ministers called Him an alcoholic. They said all sorts of things about Him. But the Pharisee Pastors then and now don’t know any sinners, and it confuses them whenContinue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 16: Become Pastor Pharisee (Part 15 – Stay Away from Sinners)”

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, you would think all the other preachers would be so happy. Something has happened that verifies their God, their view, their faith, their lives. But it did not make them happy because they were actually jealous of Jesus! Have a read of John 11.45-48 (NKJV): 45 Then many ofContinue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 15: Become Pastor Pharisee (Part 14 – Be Jealous of Other Ministries)”

In Luke 16.14 Luke tells us that the Pharisees loved money, and because they loved money they scoffed at Jesus talking! That’s staggering! Imagine listening to Jesus and scoffing. I know some people think they would never scoff at Jesus, but they scoff when His emissaries speak His words today for the same reason –Continue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 14: Become Pastor Pharisee (Part 13 – Love Money)”

At the core of being Pastor Pharisee is a lack of mercy. Mercy is one of the most essential qualities a pastor needs. Every other one of the fivefold ministries travels from place to place, but a pastor has to get up week after week in front of the same people, and because people areContinue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 13 Become Pastor Pharisee (Part 12 – Lack Mercy)”

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. (Luke 16.14) One of the biggest problems when Pastors become pharisees, focussed on the outward, caring about their lives more than the people they are called to serve and love, is that they eventually and inevitably become lovers of money.Continue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 12 Become Pastor Pharisee (Part 11 – Love the Money)”

Jesus used a very powerful illustration to show you what a religious Pharisee looks like. He said “you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and excess” (Matthew 23.25). Imagine I served you a cup of coffee, and the outside of the cup had been veryContinue reading “Pastors Don’t Do This 11 Become Pastor Pharisee (Part 10 – Value the Outer Shell More than the Inner Core)”

Another thing Jesus says about Pharisee Pastors is that they “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues” (Matthew 23.6). There are two different things there that mark Pharisee Pastors, and both are two things we need to make sure we are not into.