Sermon Tone Analysis

One of the most misquoted verses in all the Bible.

If our world is correct, then we are to let people live their lives as they wish without any resistance.

But this is not the call of a Christian.

Not only are we to preach the Gospel, which is contrary to our sinful nature, we are also to disciple one another.

Discipleship brings with it accountability, sharpening of one another, and guidance.

All the things our world calls judgement is what is essential of our growing as Christians alongside one another.

Which means, our world has hijacked the word and redefined it.

It is our job to understand what Jesus is commanding us here in light of the rest of Scripture.

Matthew 7:1

Matthew 7:1 (ESV)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

If we are lucky people will quote verse 2 Matthew 7:1-2

Matthew 7:1–2 (ESV)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

Verse 2 does offer us to important context.

But it is never thrown out there with the purpose of context.

When this verse is quoted, what they are really doing is attempting to make an argument from authority, for the purpose of supporting their choices without any accountability.

“Who are you to judge me?”

The answer?

I am a nobody.

A fellow sinner who makes his own mistakes.

But if we take a moment to address this fictional interaction, what is happening?

I will be the person who as “Judged” and you be the person who has replied with Matthew 7. I have addressed a sin or an action which is destructive, you reply with, “The Bible says not to judge, who are you to judge me?”

What has just happened?

You have just judged me about being judgmental.

You have just commited the same wrong doing.

You judges me for judging.

How dare you!

So we can go in a circle if you like.

I can accuse you of judging me for judging you.

making me wrong yet again in your eyes since I have judged you for judging me by judging you.

On and on we can go until the day we die.

We will read the entire context of Matthew 7:1 , but first, based upon our worlds redefinition of judgement, can we take a look at some of the judgmental things Jesus said?

Matthew 23:27-28

Woe to you is a warning of impending condemnation.

Jesus is warning them that continuing on this same path with lead to eternal damnation due to their conduct.

Pretty judgmental Jesus.

Then he calls them white washed tombs.

He says that on the outside you look holy and perfect but on the inside you are dead.

This is offensive even today.

To call someone beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside is still offensive.

When the disciples were on the road to Emmaus following the resurrection Jesus appears to them and they do not recognize him.

Just before their eyes are opened Jesus says this, Luke 24:25

John 8:44a

John 8:44

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

We all have something we have said in the past which we are not proud of.

We have all said something mean to someone else.

But I am sure many of us did not call someone a child of satan.

From the very mouth of Jesus, the who said, Judge not, it would appear by our cultures standards , Jesus is pretty judgmental.

He is saying some judgmental stuff.

Here is where our task lies: the truth is the truth no matter how it is taken.

It is our responsibility to do our do diligence in communicating the truth with as much grace and love we can muster.

We need to make sure we are above reproach when speaking the truth.

Jesus rebuked people, Jesus taught people, Jesus said nothing apart from His desire for those listening to be saved.

Let’s go back to Matthew 7 and read the verse in its context.

After that I would like to then hold it up to James 4 as we go deeper into understanding judgment in the life of a believer.

Matthew 7:1-5

Matthew 7:1–5 (ESV)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log 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.

Verse two gives us a very important warning.

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

This warning essentially emphasizes our need to extend Grace.

To be slow to judge.

Now, what i mean by that is two-fold and one of the reasons is found in the next 3 verses.

3 Why do you see 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,’ when there is the log 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.

An important point to make here is verse 5, “And then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

This is what is lost, we do not leave the speck in our brother’s eye.

What kind of Discipleship leaves out our need for continuous repentance as believers?

What kind of evangelism leaves out our need for a Savior?

But this brings us to the second point, we cannot call other’s to repentance when repentance is not active in our lives first.

We cannot call others to fight against sin when we have waived the white flag to our own.

The first thing that must happen is a serious personal reflection.

Our lives as Christians is to be marked with this prayer, “LORD search my heart and examine my life.”

Under the Old Covenant the animal was laid on the altar in sacrifice to God.

In Romans 12 Paul write exhorting Christians to offer their lives as living Sacrifices.

In light of Matthew 7, we are to lay ourselves upon the altar on a regular basis.

By doing so, we will be able to address the speck in another’s eye because A) we have humbly brought the plank in our eye to the LORD and B) we will understand what we are calling them to do as well.

We will have lived what we are calling them to do.

We will understand the fear, the frustration, the discouragement, and the joy of laying yourself on that altar.

We will be able to speak with Grace and Mercy.

This is all to be done because we are not to leave our brothers and sisters alone with anything in their eye.

We must love people enough to tell them, “This is destructive behavior!

This is pulling you away from God.”

I cannot call you a brother or sister, if you would leave me to my sin.

To be OK with someone walking away from God is no brother.

To leave people alone and left to be damned because you do not want to be called judgmental, is not loving.

b.

This action that our world has deemed the unforgivable sin, to judge, has been redefined.

Like Inigo Montoya to Vizzini, “You keep using that word.

I do not think it mean what you think it means.”

I think James 4 will help us to gain more understanding of Judgement.

James 4:11-12

James 4:11–12 (ESV)

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.

The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.

But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.