I Wonder: Why are Christians Hypocrites and Judgmental?
I Wonder... • Sermon • Submitted
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· 33 viewsMany have asked--Why are Christians hypocrites? Why are Christians so judgmental? and What can we as Christians do about it? How do we respond to it? And what does the Bible say?
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Transcript
The question we are tackling today that you have submitted is this: I Wonder…Why are Christians hypocrites? Why are Christians so judgmental? and especially this---and what can we do about it? How can we as Christians respond to this?
The word hypocrite comes from the Bible.
we use that word hypocrite to mean someone who claims to be a follower of Christ, a follower of God, but their actions don’t always back them up. they claim to be one way but act another.
Jesus used that word to describe the religious leaders - the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.
Look what Jesus said about them in his day:
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Here getting at the idea of what it means to be a hypocrite—on the outside you look spiritual, religious, like you follow God—and to show everyone around you how spiritual you look—but on the inside you are far from God.
in addition, as part of that—Christians have a reputation for being very judgmental about other people. for looking down at other people.
Jesus recognized this too.
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
Why are we as Christians this way, or why do we at least have the reputation of being this way—that is like the Pharisees—Pharisaical?,
and most importantly...what can we do about it?
What do you think?
Please turn to Matthew 7. Matthew chapter 7, the first book in the NT, written by one of the 12 apostles, the 12 men who followed Jesus around.
and this chapter comes in what is known as the sermon on the Mount where Jesus Christ with incredibly authority, teaches one of the greatest recorded sermons in history.
Please stand. Listen to what Jesus said:
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
How do these verses shed light on our problem:
How do we overcome hypocrisy and judgmentalism...
Admit that I struggle with hypocrisy and judgmental-ism… (Matthew 7:3-5)
If Jesus taught on this, the Son of God, who knows our hearts better than anyone—if He had to teach on this…then it is safe to say that you and I struggle with this.
and he uses a moving image.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
take the plank out of your own eye...
what a moving image—this passage is getting at we are so quick to see the faults, problems, and sins, including the tiny ones—the specks in others, and yet be so blind to our own problems—even if it is a massive plank in our own eye.
Jesus says we need to assume WE have blind spots—MAJOR ONES.
that I personally have problems, sin, issues, that I need to deal with.
In others words, Jesus tells us we need to be self-critical first—we need to examine our own hearts first before we can help anyone else.
it is so easy to be a speck spotter, but do you have log-eye disease????
Michael Baer has a great pair of goggles that illustrate this--
These can be yours for $19.95
Something obvious about it—it is difficult to see well—to discern—I have got to assume and deal with my own stuff.
after all-this is part of the Gospel—before we can get to the good news—there is bad news.
for ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory—that includes me. Next to God’s glorious standard, we fall way short.
and even if you are saved, yes you are made new, the old has come the new has gone—the power of sin has broken, but the presence of sin still remains.
ASSUME AND ADMIT that I have these problems.
2. Understand the Bible’s teaching on judgment. There is a difference between being judgmental and making judgments. (Matthew 7:1-6)
Matthew 7:1 may be the most quoted verse by non-believers. (there it is)
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
For a while I thought John 3:16 might be the most well-known verse. Growing up I used to watch professional wrestling (yes I know what you are thinking—I really am that cool), and if you currently watch it, I will try my best not to judge you.
and you would see people holding signs in the audience like John 3:16. but I think Matthew 7:1 may be the most—don’t judge me or you will be judged.
when someone quotes that at you or you quote that someone, you may be saying something like “accept me no matter what.” “Who are you to tell me what is right and wrong?”
who are you to make any judgments on me?
but I don’t think that is what Jesus is saying here.
look at Matthew 7:6
6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
We are still called to make judgments b/c Jesus calls people “dogs” and “Pigs” in verse 6 (that’s making judgments)… it probably refers to if you are offering the good news of the Gospel and its precious truths, and it is being persistently rejected and mocked, then move on. Dogs in that time were not pets, they were wild, scavengers, and pigs were the most unclean animal in Israel.
Jesus makes a judgment, a perfect judgment. (he never sinned)
if you look at Matthew 7:5, look at what Jesus says.
Matthew 7:5 (NIV)
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and THEN you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
we are still called to help our brother or sister remove the speck, but only after self-examination, confession, and repentance.
other Scriptures back this up.
The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:1-2
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
part of carrying each other’s burdens, is that if someone is caught in a sin, we don’t turn away, but by the Holy Spirit—restore them gently.
watching ourselves—that we don’t fall in, or that we don’t become judgmental and Pharisaical...
the attitude that Jesus condemns is the person who makes judgments in a judgmental way.
and Jesus has a warning—that same standard you are using on others—is often pretty high. That same standard that you use—will be used against you—by God.
and often we hold people to a higher standard than we would hold ourselves.
Jesus says that same standard—God will use against you.
How do you know if you are being overly judgmental?
How do you know if you are overly critical? Here is a checklist:
--is it easier to find fault in others and not yourself? “are you always the innocent party?” “it’s always the other person’s fault...” (some are like—it really is—warning—you are in danger of being judgmental).
—when you do confront, do you hold others down in guilt and shame instead of bringing then hope and opportunity for forgiveness? (Bock) (and remind them of that)
--when you correct others, do you do so with so much authority and boldness there is no love and grace and mercy?
--do you have a tendency to discourage people rather than encourage people?
--do you ever view some people as beyond God’s reach (Bock)
--do you make judgments about others before getting to know them? Perhaps based on what they wear, how they talk, how old or young they are, how much $ they make or don’t make, the color of their skin or background, political views?
--do you assume the worst? think people are always guilt before being proven innocent? (small towns don’t do well with)
how do we overcome hypocrisy and judgmentalism...
Admit that I struggle with this…and will continue.
Know the difference between making judgments without being judgmental...
before I go to the 3rd point—let’s take a moment of reflection—(kneel? Do I struggle with this?)
3. God calls us to hold fellow believers to a higher standard than non-believers. (1 Corinthians 5)
stand again--
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.
2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?
3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.
4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,
5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
This is weird language but Paul is upset not only the fact that a man is sleeping with his step mom.
but that the congregation, the church, that claims to be Christians has done nothing about this.
b/c this man who is sleeping with his step mom is claiming to be a Christian.
so Paul says hand this man over to Satan—basically the church is declaring that this man who claims to be a Christian is not—he belongs to the kingdom of darkness. and you make this declaration—so that he may repent—and change and come back to Jesus—and his spirit may be saved.
Paul goes on:
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?
7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
by not doing anything—it is affecting the whole church—like yeast would the whole batch of dough.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
Paul says this doesn’t mean you don’t associate with people who profess to be non-believers—b/c you have to leave the world.
no, we are talking about people who claim to be a Christian—but their lifestyle doesn’t match up.
and it doesn’t mean that you no longer fellowship with that person—the idea of eating in that culture was bigger deal than ours—it is accepting, condoning, approving…Paul is trying to say you don’t want to give a believer the impression that they are fine spiritually when they are not.
and then look at this:
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
our responsibility as believers is to hold one another accountable to make judgments, without being judgmental, for the purpose of restoration, accountability, and following Jesus Christ.
those outside the church, that’s God responsibility to judge and hold accountable.
it doesn’t mean we don’t witness or evangelize — we do. Doesn’t mean we don’t talk about sin…but in terms of holding one another accountable—we have a greater responsibility as believers vs. non-believers.
the last point—and most important point...
4. Gospel > Religion
When you and I struggle with being hypocritical and judgmental, we are embracing RELIGION and not GOSPEL.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.
when Jesus critiqued the Pharisees—he was critiquing religion.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
what is religion?
religion is the idea that I can somehow earn my right status and standing before God by works.
that it depends on my performance.
and those who are truly religious with a capital R—believe that if they just do a lot of good stuff, good works—then they can somehow not only earn God’s favor, but God HAS to bless them. God has to answer their request.
and those who are religious care very much not only what God thinks but what others think. they want the reputation for being religious.
and those who feel like they are doing good at this—it’s dangerous—b/c they look down on everyone else.
“why can’t everyone else get their act together. “I am getting my act together!”
this leads to competitiveness, pride—religious as merely external things I do. or anxiety if I am not measuring up.
religion is dangerous—it looks holy; it looks good at times—but religion CAN’T SAVE before God.It can’t change your heart.
and leads to all sorts of hypocritical-ness and judgmentalism.
often religious people don’t care for the down and the out, the poor, the downtrodden…b/c the center of their heart is works.
but the Gospel = good news. is not what I do—but what Jesus has done. What God has done through Jesus.
the gospel is that I don’t clean myself and then God accepts me.
No, I come to God with brokenness, nothing to contribute but my sin—and He cleans me up.
I am saved before God not by rule keeping, or performance...
but by sheer grace—by what God has done.
he sent His Son Jesus—to live perfectly—He’s the only one who did it!
and He sent Jesus to bear my sin and its consequences in my place—Jesus did this willingly b/c/ there are consequences for my sin.
so that I humble myself before God, cry out, and say “I need you, I am sorry for my sin, I turn from that to King Jesus...” I will be saved.
you see—as Christians we are responsible, the church has been responsible for being hypocrites and judgmental. (we are embracing religion, not Gospel)
but Jesus gives us the resources to free us from that.
The Gospel says we are more sinful than we ever thought—even the most religious of us—which humbles us.
and we are more loved than ever thought. God knows us, yet loves us fully. fully known. fully loved.
The answer to deal with these issues—is not to abandon the Christian faith—but to grasp the truer and deeper meaning of the Gospel.
EVERY DAY
Closing:
Confess your judgmental and hypocrisy to the Lord—tell it like it is
Receive God’s mercy and grace—Jesus died for hypocrites like us
Preach the Gospel to yourself daily...
