Defeating Pharisaism
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Pharisaism (legalism, dogmatism, separatism, judgmentalism, etc.) is alive and well and a destructive force in too many evangelical churches. This plague hinders effective outreach, burns out professional and lay leaders and has contributed to the mass alienation of tens of thousands of young people from evangelical churches to the point where they have no church affiliation at all or they associate with churches that may have compromised the gospel in their attempt to be culturally relevant.
This book makes the point that the key to defeating Pharisaism is by proactively steering people away from Pharisaism while at the same time showing them the life-giving truth that is found in true kingdom living, beautifully communicated through the Sermon on the Mount. As Jesus trained his disciples, he kept pointing at the Pharisees and saying "Do not be like them."
"Much of the unbelieving world keeps an arm's length from anything called Christian. Why? Because the world experiences the hot breath of Christian judgment rather than embracing grace. In Defeating Pharisaism Gary Tyra unmasks the root of the problem and then shows us the way of life in the Kingdom of God. If the Christian church wants to put on the face of Jesus, rather than the face of those who opposed him, the Pharisees, this book is a vital contribution to that end. I know I will refer to it often."
"Riveting, scholarly! Gary Tyra has done a wonderful job presenting fresh insights into the disciple-making method of Christ. This is a must read for anyone who is serious about Jesus' approach to making disciples that can and will change the world."
"To understand why most Christian churches are in constant difficulties and fail to flood their world with spiritual life, carefully study this book."
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part 1: Understanding Pharisaism
1. Who Were Those Guys?
2. Bad Blood
3. An Inconvenient Truth
Part 2: Understanding the Sermon on the Mount
4. Location! Location! Location!
5. You Gotta Pay Your Dues!
6. Coming Kingdom-Correct: Jesus, The Pharisees, and Disciple-making in Matthew 5
7. Weight Where it Counts: Jesus, The Pharisees, and Disciple-making in Matthew 6
8. "I'd Rather See a Sermon": Jesus, The Pharisees, and Disciple-making in Matthew 7
Part 3: Using The Sermon on the Mount to Defeat Pharisaism
9. This Is How Business Gets Done: Effective Disciple-making in the Contemporary Church
10. Brass Tacks: How to Defeat Pharisaism in Your Church
Conclusion
Works Cited