WHY WE JUDGE

We talked about the Beauty of Wonder and the Death of Worry

We concluded that Worry is indeed a sin

That Worry shouldn’t be a part of the Christian Practice

One thing that we discovered at home group

Is that there is a healthy worry

Or a worry

We were encouraged to stop worrying and begin to Wonder

Wonder how God is going to intervene

Wonder how God is going to change our perspective

Wonder how God is going to provide

Though Worry is something that is very hard to deal with

With God we have all the reason to change our Worry to Wonder

We will talk about something that is almost along the same lines

We will talk about something that we normally joke around about

Something that has a very thin line between joke and seriousness

Some people use this term to to excuse their behaviors

Others use it as a way to approve their righteousness

We are going to talk about Judgement

On IG

#DontJudgeMe has over 2.9M uses on IG

To give you perspective

#JesusChrist comes in at 2.6M

Today, we will talk about something that we are ok with giving out, but something that we are never ok with receiving

We will also be talking about Biblical Karma

I now y’all dont like that word

But I think there is no other way to explain what Jesus is trying to say

I am praying that today:

We as a church would start a trend that changes the status quo of the Church

I believe that the Church has been known as a source of Judgement

I believe that the Church has been misdefining its core values by judging sin

I believe this passage has the ability to change our perspective.

The New King James Version Chapter 7

7 “Judge not, that you be not judged.

The New King James Version Chapter 7

7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Before we can begin to understand what this means for us today

I really think we need to correctly define a couple of things

First of all what does Jesus mean by Judge?

skv

It is the word Krino

Which means to pass judgement

To Consider to Separate from

More akin to our culture

To Condemn

To Pronounce Guilty

It is the same word used in

The New King James Version Chapter 3

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

What is Jesus trying to prevent us from doing?

Remember, He is talking to people with the potential of Heaven in Mind.

Jesus is trying to create a culture where Salvation ushers in Joy instead of Judgement

He is trying to set in place some core values that are the antithesis of what currently exists

He is trying to switch the norm from a Spirit of Condemnation to a Spirit of Forgiveness

He sees these people with a potential of flourishing in a forgiven state

He sees them already experiencing the characteristic that separates Jesus from every other god on this earth

Which is the Characteristic of Grace

He says:

Condemn Not

Judge Not

That you wont be judged

That you wont be condemned

So if Jesus is asking us not to do something

If condemnation and judgement are prohibited by Jesus

Why are they such a part of the worlds definition of the Church?

Why does the world see us as a very Judgmental Source?

Church, we need to change this:

We need to be known for the love that has saved us

We need to be known as a place where Forgiveness Thrives

We need to be known as a venue of Grace

We need to be known for having the qualities of Reconciliation

I think, that until we understand the weight of verse 2, we will never get there.

The New King James Version Chapter 7

2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Jesus is telling us in very plain words

Don’t Judge or Condemn anyone

That you may prevent such judgement and condemnation to come upon you

Why is Jesus so adamant in expelling Judgement and Condemnation from the Christian Walk?

Jesus is looking at us as people who will one day live into the truth of this verse in :

The New King James Version Chapter 8

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

As Jesus People

We love to show and tell everyone a picture of God’s Love

We even share verses like

The New King James Version Chapter 4

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

We love to show and tell people the picture of Redemption in our story

We talk about How God has restored us

How He is redeeming us

How He has revived us

However, how do we show that we have been forgiven?

However, How do we put on display that we as followers of Jesus are exempt from condemnation?

If Jesus wants to create a culture that lacks judgement and thrives in grace

We love to tell people our story

How we have been forgiven

svme

How can the church be known/seen as a rich and generous source of grace and a place that lacks judgement?

The New King James Version Chapter 7

3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

As Christians, We should be more inclined to forgive and put a plan of reconciliation in place than

Than to proclaim a guilty verdict and move on with a sentencing

As Christ Followers, We should be more inclined to present a Gospel Centered Solution

Than make accusations of what people deserve

We should stop, and remember

That we were once dead in our sins

That we were once without hope

That we were once without an Advocate to plead our case

That we deserved not only a guilty verdict

But a just punishment

Church, we need to realize that the heavy handedness of our judgmental spirit may come back on our heads.

We need to realize that when we judge others

We are permitting God to judge us with the same measure

We are inviting him to enter our lives and replace forgiveness with Judgement

We are ultimately asking him to resort back to the justice we deserve at the expense of the Grace that Jesus went to the cross to extend.

How can we prevent this?

How can we continue to be known as a Kingdom of Forgiven People?

The New King James Version Chapter 7

5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

How many of us want to be known by Jesus as Hypocrites?

I hope thats not a goal of ours

SKSA’

I hope thats not something we hear one day

But to be honest, thats what I hear sometimes

In fact, I am the one that preaches to myself this message

So what can we do?

First

Remove the plank from your own eye

Remove what is hindering your vision

Remove the log that is in your own life

For then you will see clearly

And then you will be able to remove the speck from your own brother’s eye

What is Jesus doing here?

Do you notice that Jesus visually makes our sin greater than our brothers sin?

Also, do you notice that Jesus is inviting us to deal with Sin together?

He isn’t saying

Don’t Judge Anybody. Nor call them out on their sin

He is saying

Don’t Judge anybody, instead, deal with sin together in brotherly love.

The New King James Version Chapter 4

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love

The New King James Version Chapter 4

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love

The New King James Version Chapter 4

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love

He is calling us away from a Hypocritical State

To a state of Forgiveness through Community

He is calling us away from a Judgmental Spirit

To a Partnership of Forgiveness

He is calling us away from a Lonely Reconciliation

Into a community that deals with sin together

Church, normally, our sin isolates ourselves.

Here Jesus is calling us to partner together in reconciliation

Here, Jesus is asking us to work together when it comes to restoration

Jesus is telling us, instead of Judging the size of ones sin

Let’s deal with it together

So how do we do it?

First, in order for us to have the right perspective

We must realize that our sin is greater than our brothers sin

This is what humbles us

This is what prepares our heart

This is how we will handle a sinful situation with grace and mercy.

Do you notice that Jesus visually makes our sin greater than our brothers sin?

Also, do you notice that Jesus is inviting us to deal with Sin together?

He isn’t saying

Don’t Judge Anybody. Nor call them out on their sin

He is saying

Don’t Judge anybody, instead, deal with sin together in brotherly love.

The New King James Version Chapter 4

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Church, we need to get this right

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Eph 4:15–16). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Nobody else has

The New King James Version. (1982). (Eph 4:15–16). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

No other religion has both Grace and Truth

No other God presents himself as the solution for sin

Now, for the hardest verse ever.

The New King James Version Chapter 7

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Jesus finishes off this section of scripture with a doozy.

What is Jesus saying here:

Jesus is revealing to us that there will be people who you will want to work with

Christians who you will want to restore

Christians that you are trying to bring back into a relationship with Jesus

Unbelievers who you know Jesus loves

But whom also see the Gospel as worthless

Who see the solution you are presenting and laugh

Who hear the words of Jesus and they mock Him

Jesus says,

To those who are self righteous

Who have no need of a physician

Let me deal with them later

For those who take my holy word and mock it

Yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to work

As for you

Don’t cast the beauty of the Gospel among those who are mocking it

If people don’t want the truth, we cant expect Grace to do a work

For those who take the beauty of the Gospel and devalue it

For those unwilling to repent and move forward in the power of Jesus

Discern where you have ministry and where you are not welcomed

Ask the Lord to show you how to minister to them

There comes a time when

Why?

Because in displaying Grace where Truth is needed is like giving a diagnosis without the acknowledgement of the sickness.

If people don’t want the truth, we cant expect Grace to do a work

Grace is only grace when the truth is acknowledged.

We must realize that

If people cant confess their sin,

If people cant confess sin, they will mishandle the truth and the grace of the Bible

They will mishandle the truth and the grace of the Bible

If their sin is always smaller than everyone elses

They will mishandle the Holy and devalue the Precious Pearls.

The Hypocrite and the Judgmental look at what the Gospel offers others, and they scoff at it because they have yet to know its worth.

WHY WE JUDGE

LAST WEEK

THIS WEEK

READ MATTHEW 7:1-6

The weight of verse 2 should cause us to put a stop to our tendency to judge

How can we prevent this Judgmental Practice from confirming our Hypocrisy?