The Way of the King - Helping Others with Humility & Discernment

INTRODUCTION

SIMPSONS VIDEO

WELCOME & RELEASE

REVIEW

(Beatitudes) - Purchases Our Heart

(But I say…) - Exposes Our Heart

(But I say…) - Exposes Our Heart

(Your Father…) - Positions Our Heart

(Your Father…) - Positions Our Heart

Question: “On the stage of life, for whom do you perform?”

Question: “On the stage of life, for whom do you perform?”

Son or Actor?

Son or Actor?

(Seek God First…) - Produces in Our Heart

In whom or what do you treasure and trust?

In whom or what do you treasure and trust?

In your heart, will you surrender to fear or faith?

(Showing God to others ) - Produces through Our Heart

Today: Helping Others in Humility & Discernment

Next Sunday:

CONNECTION

Truth without Love is BRUTAL JUDGEMENTALISM

This passage today is often misquoted and misapplied so let’s look at what Jesus really says...

Love without Truth is HARMFUL NEGLECT

RECITE PASSGAE (Matthew 7:1-11)

JUDGE NOT

PRONOUNCE & MEASURE

Teaching Children

How many of you have ever taught or instructed children? In a classroom, at home, Children’s ministry? Think of the conversations you had with them. The things you have attempted to teach them.

Be kind, don’t hit, have patience, share, stop arguing with your sister/brother, don’t talk back, no lying, don’t roll your eyes at me, say please and thank you.

Imagine with me - everything you’ve ever instructed of a child is now 100% required of you.

With the judgement you pronounce - you will be judged

With the measure you use it will be measured of you.

Think about your brothers and sisters in Christ - how different are we really from children

Is the answer then to stop teaching children?

We feel the weight of our judgement but is the answer to stop teaching children so that they and we can do whatever we want? OF COURSE, NOT! We would call this complete foolishness.

In the same way, it is important that we correctly understand Jesus’ words here.

The world would say - not tell me what is right or wrong.

What is Jesus saying…?

SPECK & THORN

WHY - do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?

Why - Let this question sink in to our hearts and minds.

WHY - do you see the speck, sawdust, the smallest of flakes. Why is it so easy for us to notice the slightest error in someone else as if we had eyes like and eagle. (see a rabbit 2 miles away).

WHY - do we fail to notice the log in our own eye. Literally a load bearing beam that holds up the roof to the house. Seriously, you could be blind and see this thing yet you can’t see it but can see the piece of saw dust in your brother’s eye.

WHY? - This is worthwhile question...

Pride.... just pure arrogance

Comparison… makes us feel better

Deflection… squirrel, look at that...

Cover our pain… life hurts and we need someone or something to blame

HOW - do you say to your brother...

Why do you see yourself as the moral authority over your brother?

Log = Splinter

Describe...

But you are convinced you should help your brother first as if nothing is wrong with you.

HELP OTHERS

FIRST - TAKE THE LOG FROM YOUR OWN EYE

Look internally before you look externally

Think about your past week or month

Did you make a judgement about someone else before your reflected and looked at your own life.

Did you talk about them to others, post about them on social media,

If I was the listen in on your conversations and thoughts - would I hear you talking about the failures of others more than you confess your own sin.

Jesus words are simple - “You Hypocrite...”

You are an actor on a stage - performing for those around you, hiding behind a mask of self-righteousness

If you are sitting here thinking about how others do this - name and situation are coming to mind...

Encourage you to look in the mirror

FIRST, remove the log in your own eye

THEN - YOU WILL SEE CLEARLY TO TAKE THE SPECK OUT OF YOUR BROTHER’S EYE

Have you ever been through a tough situation or issue and this caused you to relate to people in a similar situation differently.

Example: PTSD

Maybe: Struggles like, anger, alcoholism/addiction, workaholism, purity, etc…

THEN...

Judging is standing over someone with moral superioty

Helping someone is standing with them

We aren’t called to acceptance of sin

We are called to walked with one another in pursuit of God

Humility

I just had a log in my eye

Sensitivity & Care

The eye is very sensitive

Think of a gnat in you eye, tender defensive, etc.

What would it look like for you to approach your brother or sister in Christ with this kind of tenderness when you see sin evidence in their life?

Should you always say something when you see sin in another person’s life?

No - Discernment is needed

DOGS & PIGS

RECITE

Next time someone says, “Judge not, lest you be judge...”

Respond, “yeah, and don’t throw your pearls before pigs...”

NOT GOD-FEARING

Dog & Pigs were considered unclean

They normally represented people who were not God-fearing

MORALITY vs RIGHTEOUSNESS

Caution - demanding that people to live morally upright lives apart from Jesus.

Christ-less cultural morality is simply changing cars as you continue in the same direction toward hell.

Would be be satisfied - if the people around us were ‘good’ but remained hell-bound?

“Do don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.”

QUESTION: HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THIS WELL?

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK

RECITE

The context of this passage is extremely important

Danger: we make God into a slot machine or genie in a bottle - ask, seek, knock and get what you want if your persistent enough.

Reality: Context is about how you treat others

—ING

Progression

Ask - implies a conscious need and humility to ask for help from someone superior

Seek - More than an acknowledgement of need but also action, getting up and looking for help.

Knock - this is the perseverance of action, as if the door is closed

Continuation

The form of this word in the original language implies...

“Keep on asking....,” keep our seeking…,” and keep on knocking...”

CORRECTION

FATHER’S LOVE

Stone for bread | Serpent for Fish

Cultural context - stones looked like bread, eels could look like serpent.

You who are evil

Have you ever felt like one of your parents might be easier to persuade than someone else?

Ask Dad for candy and mom if you want something on the calendar

God’s Father Heart

How much more -

Your father in heaven

GIVE GOOD THINGS

Discernment

Healing

CONCLUSION

Helping others in humility and discernment

Questions

THINKING

Why do you personally tend to see the wrongs in others while not noticing your own issues?

How can you see the smallest of errors in someone else yet miss your own need for correction?

AFFECTIONS

TOWARD GOD - Is God a trustworthy Father when you find yourself in need?

Pretend

Perform

GOSPEL

TOWARD OTHERS - How should you come alongside someone who is need of correction in a spirit of humility and love?