Do Not Judge

Paul emphasizes to the Corinthians that God set up the church as a family where brothers and sisters in Christ should hold each other accountable.

While in college I had a goal of not being a Christian in name only but of living it. But I had lived so long in sin it was hard for me not to sin when no one knew. I was blessed to have a roommate who was also a Christian. And what we decided to do was, hold each other accountable to God’s standard. Before we went out on a date, we made sure that we reminded each other of God’s standard. If we failed in our walk, we encouraged each other to do better. If we ignored righteousness, we had enough love and respect for each other to correct each other. Accountability is important with us as human beings because if left unchecked we are liable to do some crazy things!

WE- Identification

a. Every year we must do our taxes. As adults we submit information with how much we as adults have earned to the government. We know that there are people who take advantage of the system so there is a procedure called an audit that the IRS uses to confirm you’re your income and deductions are accurate. You must explain why you did or did not do something.

b. As children who have chores you may have to wash the dishes, vacuum, and dust. And your parents go back and check what you have “cleaned” to see if it is CLEAN! You will be required to explain why you did or did not do the cleaning.

c. If you have a neighborhood cleanup planned for 8:30 to 12:30 and it is cancelled due to thunderstorms and other bad weather and it does not rain anywhere near that timeframe, you are held accountable for that cancellation.

POINT: We live in a culture where some people have taken the term spoken by Jesus in “Do Not Judge” and have turned it into a rallying cry! It is what is used by those who massage a new meaning into the term to mean “Do NOT HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE”! But God through Paul has something to say on the matter.

God- Illumination

1 Corinthians 5:1–13 CSB

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this? 3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. 11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.

1 Corinthians 5:1 CSB

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife.

a. V1

There is a form of incest happening at this church. A man is sleeping with the wife of his father.

i. There is a form of incest happening at this church. A man is sleeping with the wife of his father.

1 Corinthians 5:2 CSB

2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this?

b. V2

Paul says that you have this terrible thing happening among you and you have a false pride about yourself. You think that you are doing well.

i. Paul says that you have this terrible thing happening among you and you have a false pride about yourself. You think that you are doing well.

Point: There are maybe folks there saying to themselves “Well me and my in-laws have a godly relationship! That aint none of MY business! Who am I to judge?!”

ii. Point: There are maybe folks there saying to themselves “Well me and my in-laws have a godly relationship! That aint none of MY business! Who am I to judge?!”

Paul tells them that they need to do two things.

iii. Paul tells them that they need to do two things.

Be filled with grief

1. Be filled with grief

Remove them from the congregation

2. Remove them from the congregation

1 Corinthians 5:3 CSB

3 Even though I am absent in the body, I am present in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who has been doing such a thing.

Paul says: Even though I’m not there I have already pronounced judgment!

i. Paul says: Even though I’m not there I have already pronounced judgment!

1. Well Paul haven’t you heard Tupac say…?

Only God can judge. Right? (Slide)

2. Only God can judge. Right? (Slide)

Explain what judgment is.

3. Explain what judgment is.

Judgment is stating innocence or guilt AND pronouncing a verdict.

a. Judgment is stating innocence or guilt AND pronouncing a verdict.

1 Corinthians 5:4–5 CSB

4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

V5 “hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”

i. V5 “hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”

Judgement is not for you but for the one being judged. (SLIDE)

ii. Judgement is not for you but for the one being judged. (SLIDE)

1. It may feel good to point out what other are doing wrong.

2. It may make you feel like you are a better person.

3. You might feel like it is a burden that you must bear alone!

4. Point: Judgment should be about the reformation and salvation of another.

iii. Finish explain verse 5 and the restoration of the lost.

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 CSB

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

A talk about leaven

i. A talk about leaven

ii. Leaven- Is a one celled organism that is primarily used in dough in order to make it rise. It takes that which has already been mixed (flour & water) and consumes small parts of it very slowly. It then releases gases slowly that change the dough and causes it to swell.

iii. Point: Paul is not a baker by profession! He is speaking about sin. For the people in this time sin was a community thing that had negative community outcomes. Remember Achan?

iv. Point: Those who judge properly are never OK with coexisting with sin..

iv. Point: Proper judgment is never OK with coexistence with sin.

1. Drop this in: Make sure that sin is sin and not just personal preference. Sin is CLEARLY defined by God. Personal preference comes from PEOPLE.

v. V7: Paul continues by explaining what to do with old leaven. We are over that stuff. Jesus already died as a sacrifice so that sin won’t be a problem!

1 Corinthians 5:9–10 CSB

9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

-10

i. Paul had already been in communication with the church about such issues. He told them not to get involved with sexually immoral people.

ii. Porneia- Sexually immoral people. PORN IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM!

iii. Paul says not to associate with such people!

iv. V10- But Paul is not speaking about being us and those who don’t belong to Christ! We would have to leave this planet!

1 Corinthians 5:11 CSB

11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

i. “claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral…”

ii. “Do not even eat with such a person.”

iii. Some of us like to play on both sides of the fence. Paul says that if someone claims to be a Christian and they are consistently comfortable in continuing in sinful actions we don’t even need to eat with them!

iv. Explain the importance of eating a meal with someone then.

1 cor 5i. We are not accountable for the sinful lives of those outside of the body.

1 Corinthians 5:12–13 CSB

12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.

i. We are not accountable for the sinful lives of those outside of the body.

1. That does not mean that we don’t take them the Gospel

2. Point: What that means is we present the message and let God do the rest.

ii. “Remove the evil person from among you.” (SLIDE)

iii. Point: Judgment is necessary for body accountability.

You- Application

So, does the Bible say, “Do Not Judge” or rather “Do Not Hold Others Accountable”? No! The next time you are aware of a brother or sister in sin. Study first, to make sure that God is aware of the sin too. If found to be in error with God go have a loving CONVERSATION with the brother or sister for the sake of repentance. If willful sin is the outcome treat them as an outsider in hope that they will then repent so that they can be saved.

Judgment should be about the reformation and salvation of another.

Proper judgment is never OK with coexistence with sin.

Those who judge properly are never OK with coexisting with sin.

WE- Inspiration

a. If our community were able to hold each other righteous accountable how many pointless deaths, arrests, and broken families would exist?

b. If our church held each other accountable to the standard of God how many of us would be able to avoid an eternal damnation and pain in this lifetime?

c. If the world held each other accountable I wonder if we would have to make laws to enforce moral issues. I wonder if there would be a problem with the reversal of injustice. I wonder if there would be such a thing as disenfranchised people!

d. Godly Judgment can save a lost world by making sure that Christians are spiritually healthy enough to do it!

Do Not Judge

Intro