Follow Jesus Series - Luke 6:37-42

Judge Or Not To Judge?

Text: Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-42

Introduction

We have just read a portion of scripture the world loves to quote! Those living and preaching a liberal agenda, false doctrine, sinful lifestyles, etc, will say, “Don’t judge unless you want to be judged!” Those who embrace homosexuality, transgenderism, etc, will shout, “Live how you want to live and love who you want to love.” All these groups will quickly pull this scripture out as a weapon to defeat the so called “Christian bigots.”

Now, it’s not only the liberal world who loves this portion of scripture; the so called Christian loves it too! As we all believe, just because you are born again and no longer a slave to sin, it does not mean that you won’t trip up and commit sin. That being said, sometimes we may find ourselves drifting back into an imbalanced love for self. So much so, we will proudly tell the pastor or fellow believer who are trying to guide me in the right direction, “Judge not!”

So, why is there is resistance toward experiencing a healthy judgement?

With all of that being said, what do we make out of these verses? Does the liberal world and backslidden believer have us cornered? Can we no longer voice what is “right” and “wrong?” Do these verses strip us from lovingly calling out sin in our fellow believer’s life? What does Jesus actually mean? That is exactly what we want to learn today. How we understand this passage will help this world continue to validate it’s pursuit of sin or empower the believer to live righteously while helping others.

1) Right vs Wrong Judgement

A. What is Jesus NOT saying?

Jesus does not mean that it is wrong under any circumstances to pass judgment on the conduct and opinions of others.

1 Thess. 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Philippians 1:9-10 “9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;” (CHRISTIAN LOVE IS NOT BLIND)

Neither does Jesus mean that it is wrong to reveal someone’s sins or faults when we have yet to become perfect and faultless ourselves.

This position would make it impossible to condemn any error or false doctrine!

That is exactly what the world wants!

Every believer has the obligation to test the fruit of others — Matthew 7:15-20.

This does not remove discipline from the church’s authority.

Matthew 18:15-18 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

B. What is Jesus actually saying?

The kind of judgement Jesus is condemning is CENSORIOUS and FAULT-FINDING.

Here are some examples:

Always ready to blame others for trifling offenses.

Quickly passing rash and hasty judgments.

Having the tendency to magnify the errors and sins of our neighbors.

Make the worst of our neighbors mistakes.

Jesus is striking hard at the tendency to cast judgement of someone’s motives.

1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

2) Judgement Warnings

A. You will be judged

Notice how the “tense” of the verb “judged” speaks of a once-for-all final judgement!

One of the most helpful actions you can take to judge rightly and lovingly is to begin with YOU.

This is how you make yourself ready for the appointed moment with judge Jesus.

The “Pharisees” were a group who loved to play God; condemning other people.

They never gave any thought about their own accountability to God on judgement day.

Some think that just because their “after life” philosophy does not make room for judgement, then judgment will not be a reality for them.

Think of these line of questions:

Do you believe there is a divine creator? Creation itself leaves all humanity without excuse of not seeking Him.

If this divine being had a self acclaimed book about His view of humanity, would you think it important to understand His view?

God has given us such a collection of inspired writings.

B. You are being judged

Turn to Luke 6:37-38 “37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Some people will say, “I don’t care what people think of me or what they do to me.”

Have you ever given it a thought that maybe what they are giving you is exactly what you have been given them or others?

Both the kind and measure of judgement comes right back to us!

Who exactly do you have in mind when you think of this statement, “You reap what you sow”?

It is better said this way, “We reap what we sow.”

C. You need to see clearly to help others

Illustration: How many of you would trust someone to guide you through the jungle who had a good sense of direction, but was completely blind? How many of you would trust a surgeon who could not see?

Illustration: I am sure there are some blind people who have a keen sense of direction, but I guarantee SouthWest or American Airlines are not goin to hire them as pilots.

Have you ever encountered someone who pointed out legitimate flaws in someone’s life and yet they gave no attention to similar flaws in their own life?

Question: What is the main purpose of self-judgement?

ANS — Be better prepared to serve others.

Each believer is obligated to help each other grow.

This is greater odds of hurting others and yourself when you don’t first judge yourself.

Question: What is typically the reason criticize others?

ANS — To make themselves look good.

Luke 18:9-14 “9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Our job is to help others look good…HUGE DIFFERENCE!

Jesus gives a humorous illustration of a splinter and plank in someone’s eye.

What Jesus is trying to establish is that every believer must see clearly enough to guide people spiritually.

Are some of you acting like excellent guides while at the same time not realizing your own blindness?

Without first removing the plank from our own eye, we are simply blinging ourselves from our own sins.

Romans 2:17-22 “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?”

What is Jesus commanding us to do?

Be honest and repent from your own sins first.

Approach your fellow believer with clear vision so you can actually help them and not hurt them.

Here is what judgement looks like with clear vision:

You examine the full picture of their actions and attitudes in light of the context.

NEVER venturing to judge a person’s motives.

You only allow God to judge a person’s motives.

Romans 2:16 “16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

Colossians 3:22-25 “22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Minister with love and tenderness when helping others — Ephesians 4:15 “15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

D. Unbalanced self-judgement is dangerous

Always avoid SHALLOW self-examination

Over confidence can easily help us avoid looking closely at our own hearts.

Question: Does anyone wake up with enough confidence to never look in the mirror before leaving their house?

James 1:22-25 “22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Beware of indulging to much in self-examination.

Jesus never intended for an eternal judgement of one’s self.

Jesus teaches us to FIRST to examine, SECOND confess, THRID receive forgiveness.

Satan loves to throw your past back into your life.

Revelation 12:10 “10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”