- Matt 7:1-6 READ
- This is a contentious group of scriptures! Grab someone on the street and say “do not judge” they’d probably know “lest ye be judged” or some form of it
- Nestled in the sermon on the mount- we get Jesus showing his disciples- and us- where our heart should be, where our mind should be, and what actions we should take
- A rapper from the 90s named Tupac had a song “only God can judge me” and it’s become a statement that many have made- let’s make sense of it this morning
- Only God can judge me
- Judge not, that you be not judged
- “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you
- What Jesus is saying here is -When you judge others, you’ll be judged the same way
- READ Mat 18:21-35 Matthew 18: 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
- Meaning and application would be- if you give others a lot of grace- you’ll get a lot of grace
- distinction here- this is being directed at those who are judging- it’s a caution to those who judge- not an excuse verse for people to use to keep sinning
- Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- I think this is the misunderstanding part- people wil use this to defend sin instead of using it to test their hearts in regards to judging others sin.
- This should be used towards a brother who is judging- from someone who is not- not from a person who is caught in sin as a rebuke to be left to their own devices
- Calling someone out on their sin is not judging them-claiming destruction, hell and finality is
- Speaking in general sense about sin is acceptable– telling someone ‘ god will never forgive you’ is judging them- you’re putting them in Hel by your standar
- Greek- kree-no Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: – avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
- This is not universal acceptance of someone’s lifestyle and inability to call out wrong
- We are called to unconditional love, not unconditional approval
- Years ago- knew a guy who fell into grevious sin- went and met him in a parking lot- hugged him deeply and told him I loved him- all I could think about was my own sins
- Years ago I also met with a guy who was in grevious sin who had no remorse, and no intention of stopping the sin- I told him flat out he was on a path of destruction and sin
- That’s the measure that I give- and that’s the measure that I want- grace to the humble, rebuke to the unrepentant- One guy was asking forgiveness, the other was rebellious
- Both can be forgiven- but in the moment- its not unbiblical to call our or love you just have to know the difference
- To pass judgement is a rash harsh unforgiving judgment
- This judgment is holding people to a standard that we don’t hold ourselves to and in turn becoming hypocrites its More grace for ourselves than for others
- Only seeing others as their faults, judging by motives, putting ourselves in the circumstance, not remembering that we are going to be judged as well
- The measure YOU use will be used against you as well
- What ever you want more of from God- give that to other people
- Romans 2:1-2 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
- James 4:12Who[b] are you to judge [c]another?
- Romans 14:10-13 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
- This is paramount to understanding this verse- we are all going to stand before God- so we want to give grace to people, forgiveness, leave it in God’s hands, let them “judge”
- But this by no means means we can’t call out a brother in sin (matt 18) or rebuke a friend
- we can make judgements of character and fruit of a Christian life- we can.
- Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
- 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world
- 1 cor 5:9-13 you have to judge- you can’t keep company with them
- But what we DON’T do is put someone in Hell- we don’t say they cant/aren’t forgiven
Here’s what Jesus says is the way to apply this verse-
- Start with yourself, not others
- 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
- Straight into a illustration- looking at the small problem with someone else, and ignoring the big problem with yourself
- Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
- This word picture couldn’t be easier or funnier- you have a speck of sawdust in your eye, and I have a plank in mine- but I want to try to help you with your speck when I have a plank
- Obviously everyone can see my plank but no one can see your speck- but I want to pretend that no one can see my plank- but they can see your speck- so lets ignore my plank
- You say to yourself- I can’t manage my marriage, I have a porn problem, I gossip, am a drunkard who doesn’t pay their bills, but I noticed that you didn’t help put away chairs at the last fellowship
- Not putting away chairs is damnable- but maybe the accuser would have done better to do a self inventory FIRST before trying to find fault with someone else
- The woman in adultery- she was in sin- but the accusers had forgot that they were sinful
- Again- not saying we can’t help people who are in sin- Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
- Consider yourself! Where are you at? What is wrong with your walk? What needs to change?
- Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
- That’s a great parable about not looking at others but looking at yourself.
- Don’t be Psalm 36:2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
- What are some clear hypocritical things in the Bible
- Saying you love God and hating your brother- 1 john 4:20 (hidden hate in heart)
- Thinking you are religious and not bridling your tongue- James 1:6 (hurting with words)
- Honoring God with your lips and having your heart far from him matthew 15:7 (lying)
- Judging people who practice things that you do yourself- Romans 2:3 (living in sin)
- Having the appearance of godliness but denying its power 2 tim 3:5 (not believing)
- Professing to know God but denying him by your works titus 1:16 (double life)
- Praying to be seen, giving to be seen, fasting to be seen Matt 6 (only public acts)
- Using freedom as a coverup for evil 1 peter 2:21 (licentiousness0
- Speech that is like butter, but having war in your heart psalm 55:21
- Calling Jesus Lord and not doing what he tells you Luke 6:46 (No works of fruit)
- Cleaning up on the outside but not on the inside- Matt 23:25 (trying to look good)
- Claiming fellowship but walking in darkness 1 john 1:16 (dark living)
- Which of these would you say that you are guilty of? Which ones do you need to work on?
- Doing a spiritual inventory is a great exercise and if you cant- ask someone to help you
- What planks do I have in my eye that I cant see, but you can? What should I work on
- This matters! This is a huge problem in Christianity- living a double life- don’t do it.
- The heart of a hypocrite is a politician that tells you to do something they don’t do themselves
- Its you externally trying to convince someone that you’re something that you’re not
- Start with yourself- this society is built around helping people to see the specks in other peoples eyes so they can ignore the plank in their own- find one thing bad about anyone and focus on that- banging on infeidelity According to data from the SEMrush Traffic Analytics tool, porn sites received more website traffic in 2020 than Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, Zoom, Pinterest, and LinkedIn combined- who is looking at it? Probably many who are mad about infidelity
- Don’t cast your pearls before swine
- 6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
- I find it interesting that Jesus calls those who aren’t in the kingdom dogs and pigs.
- This is a statement on discernment- there are things you shouldn’t give to people who don’t receive them with the joy they should
- matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
- You have to be careful who you think you can share the precious doctrines of grace with and who can understand who and what God is- the precepts of the Kingdom are precious to us-
- Jesus spoke about them being hidden, and spoken in parables, and how some wouldn’t understand them-
- Because Dogs and swine- people who reject the kingdom and are hostile to it
- There are people who hate God, his ways, his doctrines, and you- so you have to be careful
- What are pearls? Grace- mercy- love- forgiveness- talk too much about forgiveness with a dog and they might bite you and then use forgiveness as a tool against you-
- Clarke- In this place they are used to denote the doctrines of the gospel. “Dogs” signify people who spurn, oppose, and abuse that doctrine; people of special sourness and malignity of temper, who meet it like growling and quarrelsome curs,
- “Swine” denote those who would trample the precepts underfoot; people of impurity of life; those who are corrupt, polluted, profane, obscene, and sensual; those who would not know the value of the gospel, and who would tread it down as swine would pearls,
- The meaning of this proverb, then, is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive people who would growl and curse you; nor to those especially debased and profligate who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and would abuse you.
- In context- Jesus says don’t judge- but judge a dog- not judging is a pearl- but you should quickly discern that which is isn’t of God and RUN-
- Not judging is about not condemning and not giving people grace-
- its not about sidling up with evil and calling it Christian virtue-
- sitting with a brother in sin v celebrating the sin of dog
- Not looking at the speck- a person who thinks they have no sin can’t receive the Gospel-
- you can’t not share the message of God’s grace with someone just because you have stuff you are working on
- People need the Gospel- but your brother doesn’t need your constant scorn-
- Jesus says to focus on yourself- but you cant be so self focused you forget there’s those with specks who need the Gospel
- There is grace for the believer- but there isn’t grace for the non-believer- they are not in relationship with Jesus- they don’t understand the doctrines of Jesus-
- they just need simple Gospel
- 1 cor 5:12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
- This means- I’m not going to use scripture to argue with a non-bleiever- not gonna do it
- What they do and how they live is all an abomination to God- they need HIM
- But trying to teach kingdom principles to dog or pig is pointless
- How is this pearls? It’s a gift to have someone love and hold you accountable and love you enough to help you- because the believe WANTS to change- the non-believer doesn’t
- Don’t waste your time trying to disciple a pig or dog- give those pearls to the sheep.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned
- Those who are steeped in sin need the GOSPEL- they don’t need your soft handed silence
- 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
- Just keep telling them over and over that they are dead in their sins and need a savior
- Are you ready to receive Christ today?
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