Title: Accidental Pharisees
Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other
Dangers of Overzealous Faith
Author: Larry Osborne
How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC).
Why did I read this book: After
becoming nauseated with ‘arguments’ over specifics in ‘the law,’ seeing some ‘Christians’
harshly judging others, and as the author puts it, people being ‘more focused
on thinning the herd than expanding the Kingdom,’ just seeing this title alone
was more than refreshing.
My
initial impulse to review Accidental Pharisees was to figure out how a person
goes from loving Jesus to becoming ‘over zealous’ and ‘accidentally’ becoming a
‘Pharisee,’ so that I could learn from their their mistakes in hopes of avoiding the same fate.
Although if I am being truly honest, the fuel behind my desire to find
out more on this topic was also inwardly so that I would have ‘ammunition’ to
confront these people and convince them of the error of their ways in hope that they would change. What I ended up receiving, however, was a lot more than I
bargained for.
Review: When I first opened Accidental Pharisees and read all of the gushing, glowing reviews spilling over the first few pages, I thought to myself, "Okay, there's no way it can be that good," and I was right, it was better.
"Who were the Pharisees? How did their name become associated with hypocrisy and misguided zeal for God? And exactly how short (and subtle) is the journey from high commitment to high treason?" This work addressed these and many more questions, and the answers you receive, are surprising.
With Bible-based, sound Christian teaching, this thin book packs quite a punch. At the end of each chapter, there are sets of questions for the reader to answer on his or her own. The writing style is easy to read, very down to earth, and even at times brings forth laughter, but as valuable as this 'new' information is to the reader, it gets better still. The very best part about this book is what it shows you about yourself.
Some of the reviews in the front of Accidental Pharisees state with all conviction that this book should be read by everyone in church leadership. When I first read that concept and began to see it resounding again and again, I was skeptical, and now I disagree. Accidental Pharisees should be mandatory reading for all Christians.
If you know someone else who needs to change, this book is a great place to start, because without it, we would only see the spec of dust in their eye, and not the log in our own.
Thank you Larry, for providing believers with the knowledge to protect themselves from becoming an Accidental Pharisee, and for giving us knowledge to bring forth compassion and empathy instead of initial judgement, so what when we see a brother or sister who has crossed the line, we can pray for them instead of following suit to show them the error of their ways.
Notable Quotes/Parts:
"Who were the Pharisees? How did their name become associated with hypocrisy and misguided zeal for God? And exactly how short (and subtle) is the journey from high commitment to high treason?" This work addressed these and many more questions, and the answers you receive, are surprising.
With Bible-based, sound Christian teaching, this thin book packs quite a punch. At the end of each chapter, there are sets of questions for the reader to answer on his or her own. The writing style is easy to read, very down to earth, and even at times brings forth laughter, but as valuable as this 'new' information is to the reader, it gets better still. The very best part about this book is what it shows you about yourself.
Some of the reviews in the front of Accidental Pharisees state with all conviction that this book should be read by everyone in church leadership. When I first read that concept and began to see it resounding again and again, I was skeptical, and now I disagree. Accidental Pharisees should be mandatory reading for all Christians.
If you know someone else who needs to change, this book is a great place to start, because without it, we would only see the spec of dust in their eye, and not the log in our own.
Thank you Larry, for providing believers with the knowledge to protect themselves from becoming an Accidental Pharisee, and for giving us knowledge to bring forth compassion and empathy instead of initial judgement, so what when we see a brother or sister who has crossed the line, we can pray for them instead of following suit to show them the error of their ways.
Notable Quotes/Parts:
Chapter 1 - Accidental Pharisees: The Dark Side of Overzealous Faith:
“It’s about accidental Pharisees-people like you and me who, despite the best
of intentions and a desire to honor God, unwittingly end up pursuing an overzealous model of faith that sabotages the work of the
Lord we think we’re serving.” (p. 17)
“You’ve probably known a jerk for Jesus, someone who thought
they were advancing the cause of the kingdom when in reality they were simply embarrassing the King.”
(p. 18)
Chapter 4 - The Curse
of Comparison: What T-Ball Taught Me About Pride:
“I have no idea what tempts you to feel superior. I have no
idea what kind of people you’re tempted to look down on. But most of us have a list-or at least the beginnings
of a list. And most of us have no idea how dangerous that list is. If left in place, it can nullify
all the good that we do; it can put us at the top of God’s “I hate it when you do that” list.” (p.
48)
Chapter 8 - The Reason Jesus Came: Why Thinning The Herd Can Be a Bad Idea: “Jesus didn’t come to thin the
herd. He didn’t come to recruit “special ops” Christians. His goal was to expand
the kingdom, to bring salvation to people who previously
were excluded. He came to seek and find the lost, including a large group of folks
no one else wanted to invite to the party. Everything about Jesus’ ministry was designed
to make salvation and the knowledge of God more accessible.” (p.74-75)
Chapter 11 - Extra Rules and Extra
Fences: The Danger of Adding to God’s Word: “That’s how legalism works. It takes
our desire to be scrupulously faithful to Scripture and turns it into subtle additions to Scripture. It
focuses our attention on what we think Scripture means rather than what it actually says.” (p.98)
Chapter 14 - Learning From the Past Without Idolizing the
Past: An Honest Look at the New Testament Church: “As long as we are being brutally
honest about the New Testament church and its leaders, we need to note one more
thing. The apostle Paul planted some pretty lame churches. That’s why he
had to write all those letters.” (p.128)
“All of this helps to explain why I consider our idolization
of the New Testament church to be a rose-colored memory. It’s why I always ask
people who deride the present-day church and long for a return to the New Testament
church, “Have you actually read the New Testament?”” (p. 129)
Reading Next: Christ and the Desert Tabernacle by J.V. Fesko
Buy the Book: (click on the links to purchase)
About the Author: “Larry Osborne is one of the senior pastors at North Coast Church in northern San Diego County. North Coast is widely recognized as one of the most influential and innovative churches in America. Osborne speaks extensively on the subjects of leadership and spiritual formation. His books include Sticky Teams (Zondervan, 2010), Sticky Church (Zondervan, 2008), 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe (Multnomah Books, 2009), and Spirituality for the Rest of Us (Multnomah Books, 2009). He and his wife, Nancy, live in Oceanside, California.” –Cross Focused Reviews Media Kit
· Twitter: @LarryOsborne
· Facebook: Facebook.com/LarryOsborneNorthCoastChurch
· Website: LarryOsborneLive.com
More About the Book: “Zealous faith can have a dangerous, dark side. While recent calls for radical Christians have challenged many to be more passionate about their faith, the down side can be a budding arrogance and self-righteousness that 'accidentally' sneaks into our outlook.
In Accidental Pharisees, bestselling author Larry Osborne diagnoses the most common traps that can ensnare Christians on the road to a deeper life of faith. Rejecting attempts to turn the call to follow Christ into a new form of legalism, he shows readers how to avoid the temptations of pride, exclusivity, legalism, and other common errors.
Larry reminds us that attempts to fan the flames of full-on discipleship and call people to Christlikeness should be rooted in love and humility. Christians stirred by calls to radical discipleship, but unsure how to respond, will be challenged and encouraged to develop a truly Christlike zeal for God.”–Cross Focused Reviews Media Kit
In Accidental Pharisees, bestselling author Larry Osborne diagnoses the most common traps that can ensnare Christians on the road to a deeper life of faith. Rejecting attempts to turn the call to follow Christ into a new form of legalism, he shows readers how to avoid the temptations of pride, exclusivity, legalism, and other common errors.
Larry reminds us that attempts to fan the flames of full-on discipleship and call people to Christlikeness should be rooted in love and humility. Christians stirred by calls to radical discipleship, but unsure how to respond, will be challenged and encouraged to develop a truly Christlike zeal for God.”–Cross Focused Reviews Media Kit
Genre: Religious nonfiction, Publisher: Zondervan
Released: October 9, 2012, Softcover: 208 Pages
ISBN: 9780310494447, USD: $14.99
Buy the Book: (click on the links to purchase)
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This review has also been posted on the following sites:
www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com, www.Christianbook.com, www.GoodReads.com.
This review has also been posted on the following sites:
www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com, www.Christianbook.com, www.GoodReads.com.
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