Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself - Week 1

Grace Over Judgment: The Unifying Call of Romans 2

Bible Passage: Romans 2:1-3

Summary: In Romans 2:1-3, the Apostle Paul confronts the attitude of judgmentalism prevalent among believers, highlighting that such behavior contradicts the grace we have received from God. He underscores that when we point fingers at others, we forget our own sinfulness and the need for humility before our Creator.

Application: This sermon can help Christians recognize the importance of showing grace and compassion instead of criticism, fostering unity within the church and broader community. It encourages an awareness of our shared humanity and the need for collective growth in faith.

Teaching: The teaching illustrates that God's judgment is impartial and that we, as humans, should extend the grace that God has shown us to others, promoting a spirit of acceptance and mutual accountability.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage points to Christ, whose life exemplified grace to sinners, teaching us that God's judgment is paired with mercy, and we are called to imitate this attitude in our relationships.

Big Idea: The call to humility and grace reminds us that we are all in need of God’s mercy, and the authentic Christian life is marked by love and acceptance rather than judgment and division.

Recommended Study: Consider examining ancient Jewish practices surrounding judgment to provide insight into Paul's message in Romans. Utilize Logos to explore resources on the relationship between grace and judgment in Paul’s letters, as well as key theological works that address how believers can navigate their response to sin in themselves and in others.

Intro

Romans Resource Table

Business Meeting

1. Recognize Our Own Failures

Romans 2:1

“Therefore” is referring to to list shared in the previous verses

“Turning the Tables,” blue picture

When we read through this list, we might think of people who we would associate with this list.

We might be the hardest on ourselves, but we’re also the first people to make excuses for ourselves.

We don’t afford those same excuses for others when we see the results of their actions.

We don’t put ourselves on this list. But we’ll quickly put others on it without even giving it a second thought.

Paul turns this around on us and tells us that we are just like them.

“Turning the Tables,” orange picture

We have a tendency for pride so we miss that this is about us!

We act like a judge who gives a verdict.

We see the sin and we condemn (Watch this:) - not the sin, but the person to punishment for that sin.

Our pride tells us we’re better and we need to fight against people to win over sin.

But heres the truth: We all need reconciliation with God for our sin.

You may have been hurt by someone else’s sin, but all have sinned against God.

Maybe you’ve been wronged, hurt, attacked and you want to see that justice is done.

Maybe you see someone else do something bad and it stirs something up in us…. even for entertainment.

If you watched the show, Cops, you might see people act absolutely insane, to the point where its entertainment value. We pass quick judgements based on their worst moments. We’ll laugh and say, “thank God thats not me,” or “at least I’m not like that.”

We might see people’s worst mistakes on display in today’s day and age and we’ll judge their actions without knowing anything about what led them there and we pass quick judgement and disgust and associate it with a punishment.

Do we ever put ourselves in people’s shoes? Even the ones who’ve hurt us?

Do we ever hold ourselves to the same standard that we hold other people?

What if it were us. What if our biggest mistake was broadcast and displayed for everyone to see. We would want the opportunity to give an account for what brought us to that point. Maybe that would bring about some understanding… or perhaps even a defence.

But when we’re on the other side with the gavel, we see and we judge.

We all live in our own bubbles and until I’ve lived in your shoes, I can’t understand why you do the things that you do.

Matthew 7:1–5 NASB 2020

“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!

Before we judge - we all judge - we have to “check ourselves, before we wreck ourselves.”

We must first recognize our own failures. Otherwise, we’re hypocrites.

Christ offers forgiveness to all. What do we need forgiveness for?

What do we need grace for? - to receive forgivness is grace. Thats outside of judgement.

Did anyone have to try and stay in their parents good grace? You would just have to try to do good things that please them.

To be in God’s good grace, we have to be standing in it, not pretending to be perfect.

We must not just try to stop judging, but when it happens, disarm it by remember the judgement we deserve and turn that judgement into empathy.

Because whatever we think other people “deserve,” we also deserve.

Does this mean that we ignore the bad things that people do? NO. Because we’re called to judge.

The previous scripture talks about the way we judge. Not to not judge.

John 7:24 NASB 2020

Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

To judge by the outward appearance and to judge righteously isn’t about how “good” we are. Its about our perspective based on where we’re positioned.

Are we positioned in grace or in judgement?

Show the two different places

In judgement, we see the gavel to judge with hypocrisy.

In grace, we see through the cross.

For righteous judgement, we should be positioned in grace and inviting grace.

In outward appearance judgement, we’re positioned in judgement and inviting judgement.

In other words, lets give out the grace to others that we would want to receive. Lets invite people into grace the amount we want to be invited.

But Pastor Johnny, what about in times of hurt?

Yes - I’ve certainly held back grace and given less mercy in situations like that because of my human nature.

God’s judgement doesn’t fulfill human desire - it fulfills His. And (write this down) - He leads with love and justice.

Thank God He does. Because if He lead with only justice and not love, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

When we are putting ourselves in the shoes of others, its not just figurative, its the truth.

We’re all in the same boat when it comes to sin.

When we’re in judgement, we’re all in judgement.

When we’re in grace, we’re in grace, no matter our past.

2. Reflect Divine Fairness

Romans 2:2

This verse is less about the evil receiving justice and more about us not getting to hide in hypocrisy.

God doesn’t just unleash His vengeance against sin anytime someone sins. Because then when would there be an opportunity for repentance?

To see restoration, sometimes theres sin that goes back years.

Thats why God’s judgement falls “justly and in accordance with truth.” (AMP)

Its not like God’s up there zapping people every time they sin. Theres a process and a pursuit for those in judgement to go to grace.

For a moment, God looked upon Jesus and poured out His wrath as the punishment for our sin. That wrath is reserved for sin that comes from the enemy, not for God’s creation.

When we’re in sin, we’re susceptible to God’s wrath because we’re standing outside of grace… not because we’re doing bad things….but Jesus wants us to be in His grace and mercy, not God’s wrath.’

That’s divine fairness.

If we’re waiting for God to pour out His wrath on a person, we might get ourselves “zapped” in the process. Because that doesn’t line up with His truth and we’re stepping outside of grace to do so.

Did you hear that? To wish God’s wrath against flesh is something that we don’t get to do under grace… we have to remove ourselves from it.

Its not fair. Its not supposed to be fair. Its supposed to be His will.

3. Replace Judgment with Grace

Romans 2:3

So when Paul talks about the sins in Romans 1, he’s now turning the tables on us who read those and agree that they’re bad and he’s telling us that we’re just as a guilty and in need of grace and mercy.

Go the gavel

As we stand at the judgement seat, the tables are turning on us who would judge without regard to righteousness.

If we judge people for their sins in a way that simply desires punishment, then we’re asking for that same punishment upon ourselves.

We’re ignoring the cross and trying to fulfill our desire. We’re turning our back on the cross trying to fulfill our desire.

Even Jesus didn’t ask for punishment for the ones who were hanging Him to the cross. He asked God for their forgiveness because He knew that what they needed was grace and mercy - not punishment.

He died so we wouldn’t receive the punishment that we all deserve already.

walk to the cross

When we come to the cross, Jesus never sends us back. Only invites us into grace.

Jesus’ whole point in dying on the cross was to receive the punishment that we deserved so that we could receive grace and mercy after we accepted Him.

When we don’t accept Jesus, we’re also not accepting grace and mercy, therefore, we’re effectively trying to pay the price for something we don’t have what it takes to pay.

Watch this: So instead of Christ’s righteousness going thru us, we become self-righteous.

When we’re in the seat of judge, what we’re doing is stepping outside of grace and trying to be God.

We’re not meant or called to judge others by handing out judgement verdicts.

There is one thing that justifies us, and its not one another.

We are all in the same boat: deserving of judgement. No one is qualified to sit in the seat of judge for the purpose of justifying another’s faith.

We can however, judge the fruits and call it out. But in order to do that, we must know our place. It is not in the seat of judgement but from the place of compassion and equality.

We call out from there, not with a gavel, but with the breathe of life. With a river of living water. With the power of the Holy Spirit. Because our feelings will deceive us.

We might want to take justice into our own hands. Make sure its served.

Paul’s warning us to not be foolish and deceived.

Who’s deceiving us? Our feelings. Our desires.

We all need God’s mercy that He gives us through Jesus.

When we feel judgement, replace it with grace and mercy that we would want for ourselves.

We’re not just meant to treat one another as equals, we are in fact, equal.

Because it still deals with the sin. When we replace judgement with grace and mercy, it only calls out sin and invites the person into grace and mercy.

“What about the continued sin?” - When they step into grace and mercy, they step out of sin. If we invite them into grace and mercy and they accept, there is no more judgement.

Forgivness leads to salvation.

Matthew 6:13–14 NASB 2020

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ “For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Don’t sit in the seat of judgement but in the seat of grace. Its not only good for the people around us, but also for ourselves to stay in God’s good graces.

Closing

Repent, come to the cross, accept Jesus and step into Grace and Mercy.