Let Judgment begin!
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The idea of judgment is perhaps the most misunderstood biblical concepts today.
All thanks really to the misunderstanding of Matthew 7:
1 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.
The problem is that judgment is necessary to life.
We judge things everyday. We judge the speed of oncoming cars. We judge the safety of a road before we walk down it. We judge what food we are going to eat.
The important question is:
The validity of a judgment is based off the truth of the Authority.
The validity of a judgment is based off the truth of the Authority.
Example 1:
I judge that chili stuffed Olives are delicious, Kim thinks that they are awful.
So if i say “She is wrong”. On what authority am i basing my judgment?
On my own authority. So my judgment is proof of self righteousness because I believe that myself is the standard against which Kim’s belief is measured.
Make no mistake: This is sinful and evil!
Example 2:
A policeman pulls me over and gives me a fine for speeding.
Well that's not right: He may believe i was speeding but in my judgment I was not speeding.
So can we just agree to disagree and go home?
Of course not! But why?
Because the policeman will judge you and fine you because he believes you were going to fast.
An authority higher than him and one that both him and me are subject to, in this case the department of transport, has in its authority decided on speed limits.
So when the policeman fines you for going 100 in a 40 zone - The policeman is not judging you according to his opinion. His judgment is that according to the AUTHORITY you are speeding.
This is what the bible calls Right Judgment.
Judgment is simply comparing the subject to the authority.
The authority of christian judgment is The Bible.
Good judgment is not based off of personal opinions or feelings.
Good judgment is based on the comparison of the subject, a ministry, church or person to the Authority of God’s Holy Word.
Comparing anything or anyone to anything other than the Scriptures is false, wrong judgment.
Another factor in making right or wrong judgment is actually having sufficient substance to make an accurate judgment.
In other words: Do not judge to quickly.
The Bible puts it like this:
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God.
How would you have judged the character of the following people if all you knew about them was a single event?
A man who denied Jesus 3 times.
A man who had an affair?
A man who helped murder Christian’s.
A prostitute living on the out skirting walls of a city.
You cannot make a right judgment if what you put on the scale is to small to measure.
1KG vs 2 KG
1 grain vs 2 grain.
If we are going to practice good judgment with the world, then its only right that we first begin with the Church.
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
How do we Judge ministry?
How do we Judge ministry?
If the work of the church is the work of God, and if the work of God is a miracle, how do we go about measuring a miracle?
By comparing it to the scriptures.
Unfortunately we have a problem:
To many a church or ministry bases its value or gets its value from other, almost exclusively on the un-biblical belief that bigger is better.
Quantity is no guarantee of quality.
In fact, God specifically calls out the evil practice of comparing churches.
12 For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding.
The Apostle Paul came face to face with this in Corinth. The christian members were comparing Paul, not to the authority of the Bible like they should, they were comparing Paul to the very impressive Judizers.
Let us look how Paul handles this”
False measurement
False measurement
The Judaizers, like so many “great religious personalities” today, impressed the people with their overpowering abilities, their oratorical powers, and their “commendations” from church leaders, their studio quality music...
The problem, according to the bible, is that the judgment is superficial since the actual heart cannot be seen.
So what does God say is wrong with the Corinthian Christians?
7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
Because the Corinthians judged Paul’s ministry by the outward appearance, they completely missed the power that was there.
Over and over and over again the bible tells us specifically how NOT to judge:
24 Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
15 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.
Worldly churches love outward appearance judgment.
Why?
Those with no content of character of Christ and Truth PREFER to be judged on mere externals because they can be bought and easily worn.
Jesus spoke about these kinds of people when he said:
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
So how do we then judge the church?
True measurement
True measurement
Paul suggests questions we may ask ourselves as we seek to measure our ministries by the will of God.
Am I where God wants me to be?
Am I where God wants me to be?
13 But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the domain which God assigned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ;
God “assigned a field” in which Paul was to work: he was the apostle to the Gentiles.
God is not going to measure us on the basis of the gifts and opportunities that He gave to Charles Spurgeon or Billy Sunday.
He will measure my work by what He assigned to me.
There is something intimidating about attending a pastors’ conference or a denominational convention, because the people on the program are usually the “front-runners” with the best records.
Pastors go home carrying feelings of guilt because their faithful work does not seem to produce as much fruit.
Some of these discouraged men then try all kinds of programs and promotions, only to have more disappointment; and then they contemplate leaving the ministry.
If only they would realize that God measures their ministries on the basis of where He has put them, and not on the basis of what is going on in some other city, it would encourage them to stay on the job and keep being faithful.
Always remember the commendation of Jesus Christ that we are all hoping for:
Well done my good and successful servant.
Well done my good and famous servant.
Well done my good and popular servant.
Well done my good and wealthy servant.
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
Why is my church not growing?
Why is my church not growing?
Why do some churches have such a hard time growing?
Well obviously there must be something wrong with the pastor.
This is exactly what happened to Paul: The false teaches accused him by pointing out how much faster their churches were growing compared to Paul’s.
The Corinthian's agreed and accused Paul.
What was the Apostles Holy Spirit led response?
15 Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended.
16 Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.
Paul told the Corinthians that the only thing that had kept him from going to “the regions beyond” IE: Growing, was their own lack of faith.
Had they been submissive to his leadership and obedient to the Word, he could have reached other lost souls; but they created so many problems for him, that he had to take time from missionary evangelism to solve the problems in the church.
“I would have better statistics to report,” he was saying, “but you hindered me.”
Listen, so long as your pastor is biblical qualified: God is with him.
What is a biblical qualified pastor?
1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching,
3 not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money.
4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil.
7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.
If this describes your pastor and the work is not growing, then the problem is the church not the pastor.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Each church is unique, and no ministry can be evaluated on the basis of some other ministry.
The important thing is that we are where God wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do so that He might be glorified.
Motive is as much a part of God’s measurement of our work as is growth.
17 But the one who boasts is to boast in the Lord.