Judge Not.. (2)

Service Notes:

Need to learn to play gold. Putt Putt on October 10th

Important 4:30 Volunteer Meetings. We are looking at important aspects of our LifeGroups

October 3rd, Parent and Baby Dedication

Introduction to the Text:

One of the most well know phrases by Jesus “Judge not”

Most do not know or care about the context.

Last sermon

Love your enemies

Do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you.

Pray for those who mistreat you.

Do not retaliate

Give freely

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Luke 6:26–38

Christians are not to judge other Christians. And Christians are to judge other Christians. That’s what the Bible teaches. Any questions?

I. We must be prayerfully, slow to condemn.

II. Must not only be quick to forgive but to give.

III. Let the knowledge of doing right before God be your only reward

IV. A proud spirit speaks critically of others but a humble spirit will be used to correct others.

Introduction

Only one friend who is paid to be a judge. Judge Tolar. Greg saying “yes your majesty”

Judging others has become an American past time. It is probably why reality tv is so popular.

Story of two old men arguirng about fish having fun. “You have never been a fish.” As silly as that is that is what much of life is made up of if we are not careful. Four Square at our house is called Debate Practice.

Are we to judge?

Christians are not to judge other Christians. And Christians are to judge other Christians. That’s what the Bible teaches.

In fact, the apostle Paul says both things in the same letter just a few paragraphs apart.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (AV)

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Don’t judge other Christians.

1 Corinthians 5:12 (AV)

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

Judge other Christians.

Is Paul contradicting himself? No. Paul is simply instructing us that there are things we must not judge and things we must judge.

Of course, “judge not” does not mean what some would like it to mean.

Luke 6:36 is the life verse of many who simply would like to live in sin undisturbed.

There must be a right and wrong way to go about this.

John 7:24 (AV)

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Critical thinking, discernment, and “right judgment” belong to every mature disciple of Christ.

How we must not judge

1. Motives of the heart

Manifest the counsels of the hearts 1 Cor 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

How are you to know someones heart?

Example: Tony Stewart hit a man who came to confront him on a Nascar track

Stewart was trying to avoid Ward

Stewart was trying to scare him by brushing him back

Stewart was trying to kill him outright

2. Not sinful behavior

Don’t judge others based on their decisions, actions, perspectives, words, or personality that concern us if those things themselves are not explicitly sinful

Should the kids be in trouble for that? No it is not wrong it is just weird.

What is the debate that Paul was addressing in 1 Cor 1

Who is your favorite Paul, Apollos, or Peter?

These men were different

because all men are different

different strengths, emphasis, and gifts

John 7:24 (AV)

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

3. Judgment with hypocrisy

Matthew 7:4 (AV)

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

It does not mean it is not to help others out but first take heed to your own heart.

Matthew 7:5 (AV)

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

4. Judgement without mercy

Hypocrisy is never the friend of mercy.

When we spend more time noticing others’ sins than our own, we struggle to wear the “spirit of meekness”

Galatians 6:1 (AV)

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

5. With a false balance

“We have a way of swelling others’ specks into logs, and of shrinking our own logs into specks.”

Luke 6:38 (AV)

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

“The command to judge not is not a requirement to be blind, but rather a plea to be generous”

James 2:13 (AV)

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Generous, merciful judgment takes energy and time. It is far easier to madly swing the gavel.

What We Must Judge

Christians must judge the explicitly sinful behavior of a professing Christian.

Jesus said a “tree is known by its fruit”

Matthew 12:33 (AV)

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

When do the hidden sinful purposes of the heart reveal themselves? In a person’s explicitly sinful behavior.

That’s why Paul didn’t even have to be present to pass judgment on a man who engaged in sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:3).

1 Corinthians 5:3 (AV)

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

And he explicitly instructed the Corinthian Christians to pass judgment on him too due to his behavior.

1 Corinthians 5:12–13 (AV)

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

When we sin, our Christian brothers and sisters have an obligation to judge us. They must not condemn us, but they must, out of love, call us to repent.

Such judgment is a grace, an expression of God’s kindness and they only compound their sin if we take offense.

Romans 2:4 (AV)

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

How are we to judge?

This can be hard when we look at the context of being asked to rightfully judge just not those you love but even those who do not love you.

I. We must be prayerfully, slow to condemn.

Luke 6:37 (AV)

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Jesus is saying, “In the circumstance of you not being loved well, in the circumstance of you being mistreated, be slow to condemn.” He is asking you to operate in the opposite direction of your instincts.

We must have a healthy suspicion of our own pride, and keep Jesus’s words ringing in our ears.

Move prayerfully slow.

See the person as your brother.

Romans 14:10

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

There have been times I thought the “brother talk” was weird but I have grown to love.

How we judge says more about us than it does the person being judged.

If you want to invest time into conflict resolution, deal with yourself 99 percent of the time.

Do not “set at nought” or despise your brother.

Don’t treat your brother scornfully without brotherly affection.

Recognize we all will be judged someday.

Romans 14:10–12

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Reexamine.

The first thing we must do in this circumstance if we are going to seek not to quickly condemn those who have done us wrong, we're going to reexamine ourselves.

Reexamine ourselves of what? We’re going to reexamine our motives.

II. Must not only be quick to forgive but to give.

Luke 6:37 (AV)

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

What's your instinct? It's to say, “You were wrong! You caused all this!” What does Jesus say? “Be quick to forgive. Be slow to condemn, but be quick to forgive.”

Forgiveness is how love covers a multitude of sin

1 Peter 4:8 (AV)

8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

What does that look like in real life?

Proverbs 17:9 (AV)

9 He that covereth (doesn’t mean hide) a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Be ready to give.

Luke 6:38 (AV)

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Don't be looking for what you’re going to get from this situation.

Problem with forgiveness. It means we give up our rights to gain from someones actions toward us.

Not only ready to not get but give!

Ephesians 4:28 (AV)

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

III. Let the knowledge of doing right before God be your only reward

Be assured of God's reward.

Luke 6:38 (AV)

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

If you are slow to condemn, quick to forgive, ready to give rather than to get, then here's what you’re going to find out. Once you have given up any idea of getting out of that relationship, receiving out of that relationship, what are you going to find? God is going to put good measure into your lap.

For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:38 (AV)

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

We must remember our own sins and seek to correct in the same way that we would want to be corrected for our sins.

How do you do this? Find your treasure outside of retaliation.

Psalm 63:3 (AV)

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

What feels better than revenge? Obedience to God.

What feels better than taking things into your own hands? Leaving them in His.

IV. A proud spirit speaks critically of others but a humble spirit will be used to correct others.

James 4:10–11 (AV)

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Evil speaking is what comes from a heart that is prideful

Ever apologized to someone for someone for something you said and they “said I didn’t take take in a bad way” and you thought “well you should have it is how I meant it”

Evil speaking is judgement toward a brother not humble correction.

God will not use you to help bring healing to a person that you are speaking evil about.

What is speaking evil of someone? It is a proud, hurtful, demeaning speaking about another’s faults without any heartfelt care for their good

It is judging some one in a manner you do not want to be judged. Is a violation of our text.

Conclusion

Judge with Right Judgment

How we judge others says far more about us than how we are judged by others.

John 7:24 (AV)

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Review:

Right judgment is

charitably quick to believe innocence,

charitably slow to pronounce guilt,

charitably redemptive when it can be.

and charitably silent if at all possible.

Believer - have you been living according to God’s Word in this area?

Have you ever felt falsely judged, misunderstood, do you long for a day when the perfect Judge will rule and reighn?

That day is coming.

Let me remind you how he will judge.

Revelation 20 tells a story of judgement for all those who have not found forgiveness of sins on this earth.

Revelation 20:12 (AV)

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

I can tell you on that day every man and woman who stands before Jesus will be found guilty

Galatians 2:16 (AV)

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

This should help explain to you why we sing a song like “My faith hath found a resting place”

My faith has found a resting place Not in device nor creed I trust the Ever-living One His wounds for me shall plead

Enough for me that Jesus saves This ends my fear and doubt A sinful soul I come to Him He'll never cast me out

I need no other argument I need no other plea It is enough that Jesus died And that He died for me

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