Judgement Free Zone
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Big Idea: We set up invisible and unstated standards around other people, their behaviour, actions, the way they dress, the way they talk, the things they hold as valuable and so much more.
Me: Planet fitness intro
Judgement free zone…does anyone know where that saying comes from? Its actually a trademarked slogan…honestly we might get a phone call for having it as our sermon title this week. Pause.
Talk about the concept behind judgment free. Don’t say anything about the lunk alarm yet...
Compare pictures from their website with pictures from Gold’s Gym website.
That sounds like a really good philosophy right. Honestly in light of our first verse we are going to read this morning, its sounds downright biblical. Here is what I mean:
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
Anyone ever heard that verse before? YEAH!
Hands down, this is one of the most grossly misapplied verses in the entire Bible.
It is often ripped out of context to support someones actions in the face of scrutiny or judgment by friends, family members, or society. The thinking usually goes something like this:
You do you and let me do me. As long as what you want for me doesn’t interfere or go against what I am doing we are good because you are not allowed to judge me lest ye be judged. Anyone ever heard that line of reasoning before? Yeah I think probably so. Especially if you have teenagers…sorry guys.
The only problem with taking it at face value without considering the surrounding context is that it is completely impossible.
We: We make judgments all the time! We have to. Give examples of how we are making judgments right now.
Getting up in the morning equation: time to get ready multiplied by drive time raised to the factor of how tired I am and divided by the latest time I can show up by equals the number of times I can hit snooze. Anybody ever do that equation before early in the morning? Oh heck yes! You didn’t even think you were capable of complex algorithmic equations like that and yet you can do that half asleep in a split second.
We judge whether or not we can make it through the intersection before the red light. It it a camera light? Are there cops around? Are the roads busy? Can my little v6 horseis carry me that fast?
Do the new recipe when guests are coming over with Danielle bit.
But it isn’t just life judgments we make. We do this same thing with people as well.
Passive-aggressive jab from a co-worker
Homeless man on the street
Somebody does something with their hair
Someone makes a questionable or out of character moral choice
The damage this has done through the church…we are primarily known for what we are against.
Examples: Is the church known for being a place where same-sex attracted people are safe to share their struggles? I’m not even talking about those who may be engaged in homosexual relationships…I am talking about people who have struggled with this issue internally and may genuinely be seeking help and counsel.
How have we done with the issue of divorce in the church?
I’m going to get in your business over this one but how have we done with people holding differing political views than us?
Here is how that type of judgmental attitude works:
We set a standard of acceptable behavior, dress, appearance, attitude, political leanings, sexual conduct, and more on the people around us. When the people around us fail to live up to those often unstated standards (and as a side note, it doesn’t matter if those standards are our own preferences or actually rooted in the Bible) we will then categorize that person in our mind.
When we do this, we reduce that persons entire character down to that one issue.
When we do this, we are destroying a part of their humanity.
When we do this, we are often misrepresenting what is actually an incredibly complex human being made in the image of God down to the sum total of one character trait, choice, or action. We aren’t just judging a person…we are judging motives, thoughts, and intentions. We are making a value statement about other people when we can somehow reduce them down and categorize them so neatly in our minds based off of a single trait, political leaning, ethnicity, choice, or etc.
We always act in accordance with our judgments...
So when Jesus says “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” that is what he means.
Do not assassinate someones character by reducing them down to the single point or points at which they have failed to meet our standard and then proceed to treat them poorly in light of your judgment.
It isn’t that we should not judge. That is not what this verse is saying. This verse is warning us to not judge wrongly.
Jesus is about to bring our attention to the inherent danger of judging when He says:
“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Definite spiritual implications that should fill us with a righteous fear of God...
I think more than that, though:
Jesus is introducing us to the concept of judgmental reciprocity here.
I say introducing us…this actually isn’t a concept that we need any introduction to at all. We are living it big time.
Talk political polarization.
Talk vaccines...
Talk masks...
Talk generational divide between boomers, millenials, gen z...
Talk sexual ethics...
It isn’t just the big things though…its at play in our neighborhoods....the house down the street that never keeps their yard mowed or their dog always poops in your yard or they are close enough to you that you hear every fight.
Its in our offices and jobs.
Its the passive aggressive jabs between family members based off of a snap judgment from something they’ve said or did or who they may have voted for.
I know all of us over the past year at least have sat around the proverbial campfire and tried to solve the worlds issue. Haven’t we...
For those who have chosen to follow Jesus…there is good news today. The solution is incredibly painful but it is good news and hope. Here is what Jesus says:
“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 behold, 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.
Who has heard this? We all have at one time or other haven’t we.
I almost guarantee that like the don’t judge passage, we’ve missed something critical in this bumper sticker verse.
If we fail to grasp that law of reciprocity, we will fail to grasp this one.
Let’s go back to my planet fitness illustration i started with earlier…PF is a lot like cilantro…it divides a room…do lunk alarm bit.
In those places we find ourselves quick to make a snap judgment Jesus is telling us to stop and examine our own heart, motivations, actions, and need for grace and forgiveness.
Do you notice the end of that verse five? There is an opportunity to help our brother take the speck out of their eye.
Do preferences vs. biblical truths and we weren’t made to live alone bit…We grow as we are lovingly corrected and as people speak truth into our lives. But we have to be willing to take the correction or we will see it as an attack and inevitably reciprocate judgment back on the other person.
Our judgment is incredibly valuable…here is how Jesus ends this teaching.
“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.
Out of this, we see that:
Loving, appropriate, and biblically driven judgment is a treasure that we are to safeguard.
Remind them that Jesus is using hyperbole to drive home a point.
Why would people who you do not have a loving relationship or who does not have a relationship with Jesus or even care what the Bible says be open to our judgment and correction?
“Correction is only see as judgement to those who still love their sin.” -Dickerson Wells
We’ve mixed up some critical steps along the way somewhere as the church. We’ve started operating much like Planet Fitness. We hang the banner of inclusion and all are welcome here over our doors. We say we catchy things like: “we are not a museum for saints we are a hospital for sinners.” Or “we are all a work in progress here” or “no perfect people allowed, you’ll just mess us up.” And yet, meanwhile we have hung the lunk alarm from the front of our pulpits, from our social media accounts, from our casual conversations with other people; we’ve hung the lunk alarm as we fail to associate with people who don’t look, think, dress, act like, have the same sexual ethics as us, vote the same way, or hold the same political beliefs as us.
And in so doing, we’ve become known more for what we are against than what we are for. Yeah our culture has been turning on us like ravenous wild dogs or wild pigs because we’ve cast judgment on and categorized and reduced them to their most glaring flaws based on a standard they could care less about.
Don’t miss this next part...
Instead, the biblical picture we see of judgment and condemnation of sin is within the context of a relationship with Jesus. You will not find a single instance of someone leaving their sin or being healed before they place their faith in Jesus. People always have a radical encounter with Jesus before the lifelong work of life transformation can begin. It is when they realize the value of Jesus’ love sacrifice and Word that they can take loving judgment and correction that turns them from their sin.
Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Can we be known for what we are for instead of what we are against?
And you say…how in the world to we make that a reality?
It looks like turning strangers into neighbors, neighbors into friends, and friends into family of God.
As we grow in our intimacy and relationship with others, and as they grow in intimacy and closeness to Jesus, there are opportunities to speak truth in love.
It is true: Because Jesus loves you so, he bids us to come as we are. We are to receive people where they are despite their moral choices, looks, political leanings, or sexual ethics. But it is also true that Jesus loves us too much to leave us where we are. And so as people come to see Jesus and His Word as good news, we have the opportunity within that relationship to speak life giving words of correction and truth to them. Not because they need to attain to our standard because that’s not Jesus overall motivation. But because there is joy and fullness of life to be found as we do life the way God has intended it. And when we experience that fullness of life, our hearts are naturally inclined to worship the author of that truth and life.
And so…I don’t know where you came in here at this morning.
Perhaps you are struggling with or concealing something that you know is not consistent with how God has called you to live…
Perhaps you are afraid to give Jesus a chance because of some issue…
Perhaps you know you are judgmental…
Perhaps you don’t yet know you are judgmental but you have some areas that you are incredibly passionate about and are quick to speak out about the wrongs and biblical inconsistencies you see…