Judge

01-05-2020

Welcome

This is the first sermon of 2020

Welcome to 2020

Rather than going over what the new year brings or making different New Years Resolution

I thought it would be great to wrap up our Sermon on the Mount series

If you will recall a few months ago we started this journey through the Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus to followers sitting on the side of a mountain

So this morning we will join them and meet them back on the side of the mountain

If you will recall we have started in and covered

the Beatitudes, and what it is to be a follower of Jesus

we looked at how Jesus took the Old Testament Physical Law and made it a heart issue, and then we covered prayer

and of course worry and trusting in Jesus

Which brings us to

Matthew 7:1–6 NASB95

1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “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? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “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. 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

This for the most part seems pretty straight forward

Matthew 7:1–2 NASB95

1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

At first glance this seems simply and straight forward

It is

Jesus is telling those sitting on the side of the mountain that they are to not cast judgement on others

Because the way in which they judge it will to them

But that does not mean that you are to hold each other accountable

We live in a world today that takes these verse and runs with them

We see these verses live out on the news and in our own lives

today we hear, If you attempt to hold people accountable for their actions you are simply being judgmental and Jesus said that you and I are to not judge

That is true Jesus said not to judge but Jesus is not saying that you and are to not hold people accountable for their actions

But Jesus was talking about the way in which you and I hold each other accountable

Jesus is not saying don't hold people account but rather the way in which you go to hold people accountable

See if you come at people to bring about guilt and shame in public then most likely that is judging them

Judging someone has the sense that you are better than that person which is why often throughout scripture when Scripture calls us to hold each other accountable we are called to check ourselves first

The problem with this verse church is that we like it when we can judge others, but don’t like when others want to judge us

When someone and not just any someone calls the sin in our lives out we are quick to use this verse and point out that no one is perfect

You are right but praise the Lord we have people throughout scripture who called sin sin and encouraged each other to not sin

Galatians 6:1 NASB95

1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

This is how we are to go about it in Gentleness

We are to actually to be going to one another in gentleness and call sin sin

That is a good thing

But when we aren’t gentle is when I would think it starts to become judgmental

James 5:19–20 NASB95

19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Again another example of how you and I are to go to each other

Scripture also tells us to go by ourselves, and then bring someone else

So I am going to tell you, if you stand up and start calling out sin without going to the person you are in the wrong

This is what it is to be unified as a church when we can go to each other and sit down and encourage a brother and sister in Christ to stop the sin in their lives

The Bible says we have saved the soul, we have won a brother

Matthew 7:3–5 NASB95

3 “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? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “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.

These verses seem to backtrack on what we just talked about but again we are looking at how we go to each other

I will be really honest if you know a brother who gets drunk often and you go to them and tell them hey man you really shouldn’t get drunk while you yourself are drunk

They wont listen

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go to that person but you might want to check yourself first

Maybe God is calling you to ride yourself of the sin you see in others

See I believe one of the most dangerous prayers we can pray for ourselves comes from

Psalm 139:23–24 NASB95

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

This is what it is to remove the log in your own eye

This is what it is to clean out the speck in your eye

Often times we are very quick to see others in sin and slow to see it in our own lives

But the beauty with that is someone else is quick to see it in us

Praise the Lord we have Nathans in the church with the fortitude to go to their friends and bosses and call sin sin

Praise the Lord we have people in the church who are praying this pray and are willing to put their faces on the ground and pray God search me!

God get ride of any unclean thing in me no matter what

Praise the Lord we have people who are willing to be used of God to ride the sin in my own life

But again church it goes to how you and I approach the situation

that is what Jesus is saying

If your actions don’t line up with what you are saying you might be a hypocrite

Lets be honest this morning

If you actions follow with what your mouths say then people find it easier to listen to what you are saying

But if your actions don’t follow what you say then people find it very very hard to listen to you

Before you even go to a brother or sister in Christ, pray about it, dare I say it but maybe you fast over the situation and conversation

God may bring somethings to light in your own life and then you can go to that person

And be honest with that person

Sit down with that person and explain to them

Church if you are the person someone is coming to yes sit down with that person

IT is easy to be quick to defend your actions

But I challenge you to listen to what they have to say and then run it through Scripture

If what they say matches scripture then you can’t be mad at them

Finally

Matthew 7:6 NASB95

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

This you would think should wrap everything up in a nice bow

But at first glance this might bring about more confusion than clarity

You might have agreed with everything up to this verse and then start to question what is Jesus talking about

Good, you are right where God and I want you

When you find out please come and let me know

As the bad comes up

Just kidding

This verse is very difficult to understand and i am going to issue the challenge to go home and do your own homework on this verse

What I can gather is God seems to be talking about how you approach someone

You will know if someone is ready to be talked to

With that you will know if they are in a position in their life to hear what you have to say from God

God is saying if they are not in a position to hear that then don’t give it to them because it will be wasted and of no use

Now hold that thought and it makes great sense

This even from what I have read applies to other Jesus’s teachings

Even the Gospel

Wait a minute, you always say we are called to go and share the Gospel

Yes that is correct

But if in talking with someone and you realize they are not going to listen to the Gospel then don’t share it

You and I are to be obedient to the Gospel

IF you and I go to the house and we start to talk with them and we ask them if we can share the Gospel and they say no

It is not our responsibility to put our foot in the door and force them to hear the greatest news they will ever hear because they won’t hear it

But if you and I go and we begin to talk with them and they tell us we need to leave then guess what

We are to leave

Because if we attempt to force the conversation no matter what the conversation is they will not hear it and it will be wasted

Church it starts off with how you approach the situation wether the person is a brother or sister in Christ or a non believer

It is all about the approach and church can I say this the approach starts with us on our knees before the Father

Saying God search me

This morning as the band comes up

If you are here today and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus meaning you have never accepted the free Gift of Jesus dyeing in your place for your sins

We want to invite you to the front

Or maybe you are here and maybe you need to go to someone this morning

yep it just got real

or maybe you need to come to the altar and cry out God search me