INTRO.- ILL.- Wrong Guesses: A six-year-old lad came home with a note from his teacher in which it was suggested that he be taken out of school because he was “too stupid to learn.” That boy was Thomas A. Edison. (and yet Edison is the fourth most prolific inventor in history, holding 1,093 US patents in his name)
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s grandfather gave him 10 shillings for writing an eulogy on his grandmother. Handing it to the boy, the old man said: “There, that is the first money you ever earned by your poetry, and take my word for it, it will be the last.” (and yet Tennyson excelled at penning short lyrics, such as "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "Crossing the Bar")
Benjamin Franklin’s mother-in-law hesitated at letting her daughter marry a printer. There were already two printing offices in the United States, and she feared that the country might not be able to support a third. (and yet Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.)
How wrong we often are when it comes to sizing up people or judging them. In fact, we are often critical and judgmental toward others. This seems to be our mode of operation in life: quick to judge and quick to criticize.
ILL.- We sometimes criticize others unfairly. John Wesley told about a man he had little respect for because he considered him to be miserly and covetous. One day when this person contributed only a small gift to a worthy charity, Wesley openly criticized him.
After the incident, the man went to Wesley privately and told him he had been living on parsnips and water for several weeks. He explained that before his conversion, he had run up many bills. Now, by skimping on everything and buying nothing for himself he was paying off his creditors one by one. "Christ has made me an honest man," he said, "and so with all these debts to pay, I can give only a few offerings above my tithe. I must settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was once dishonest." Wesley then apologized to the man and asked his forgiveness.
ILL.- Dr./preacher George W. Truett told the story of a young lady who was brought before the church to be disciplined because of a violation of the church covenant. It was suggested that she be dropped from the roll of the church.
As the debate developed the preacher said, “Let us also call the church treasurer and have him read the record of the giving of every member, and let us vote to drop everyone who has violated God’s law against covetousness.” That bombshell cleared the air of accusers, as did Jesus when He said: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
PROP.- Let’s consider what it means to stop passing judgment on others.
1- We must not be stumbling blocks
2- We must recognize the kingdom
3- We must do whatever leads to peace
I. WE MUST NOT BE STUMBLING BLOCKS
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Stop passing judgment on one another. Don’t be a stumbling block.
Isn't it strange that princes and kings
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings
And common folk like you and me
Are the builders of eternity.
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and a book of rules;
And each must make, ere time is flown,
A stumbling-block or a stepping-stone.
Which are you, stumbling block to others or stepping stone to others? Do you hinder people in their faith or do you encourage people in their faith? Are you on the construction crew or the destruction crew?
We all do things that hinders others in their faith whether we want to recognize it or not or admit it.
ILL.- I remember many years ago when a high school girl in one church went to a local rodeo held in our town. While there, she saw one of elders of the church drinking a beer. She went home and told her parents because it really upset her.
I knew that elder well and he wasn’t a drunk. In fact, I don’t think he even drank a beer on a regular basis, but had he known that any of the church members were there (particularly youth) he probably shouldn’t have had that beer.
ILL.- In one town I lived just around the corner from a local service station that my bass fishing friend managed. Occasionally, I would go down to that station and visit with him. One day I was there around 5 p.m. when some of the local guys came in to drink a beer. While there I drank a Dr. Pepper and visited with the guys about fishing.
A lady and her daughter came drove into the station to get gas. My friend pumped her gas and washed her windshield. He came back inside the station and said, “That ladies’ little girl said, ‘Look, the preacher’s drinking beer!’”
Well, that certainly humbled me and I never visited that station at that 5 p.m. time again! I felt bad that I was a stumbling block to that little girl. I don’t think I ever saw that little girl again. They had visited our church and that’s why she recognized me. Is it possible that I kept that lady and her daughter from Christ and the church?
ILL.- I once attended a church function at an elders’ house and he had a cooler full of soda BUT ALSO BEER! That surprised me. I thought, “Well, it’s his house and he can do whatever he wants.” But I certainly didn’t think it was a good example to the church folks who were going to attend that function. I guess he never thought of himself as being a stumbling block to anyone.
We all need to consider what we are doing, wherever we are! People are watching us and we can hinder them or help them depending on how we live, act and how we speak!
II. WE MUST RECOGNIZE THE KINGDOM
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
We must recognize that we’re a part of the kingdom of God as are others and it’s a spiritual kingdom.
Warren Wiersbe wrote: “We are just like the Pharisees of old. We Christians have a way of majoring on minors. I have seen churches divided over matters that were really insignificant when compared to the vital things of the faith. I have heard of churches being split over the location of the piano in the church and serving meals on Sundays.”
Charles Swindoll calls it legalism which says, “I do this and I don’t do that and therefore I am pleasing to God.”
ILL.- Swindoll told about a young missionary family on a mission field where they did not have any peanut butter. They loved peanut butter so they contacted some friends in the states to send them some peanut butter. Apparently, it got out to another missionary family that they had peanut butter and they were disturbed about it, thinking the family should give up their peanut butter for the cause of Christ. The situation got so petty and so bad that the young family left the mission field and came back to the states.
I know this sounds pretty extreme but some Christians have been divided over many petty issues just like this one.
ILL.- I remember one time that I was thinking to purchase a sporty car but I didn’t because I thought the people in the church wouldn’t like it. Another preacher friend said, “Why not buy it?” Well, I didn’t simply because I didn’t want to be an issue with anybody in the church.
In fact, in 1969 when I went to minister to a small church in central Iowa I was driving my 1968 Pontiac Firebird and yet, they hired me! After I moved there one older fellow in the church asked my why I bought a car like that. I don’t remember what I told him, but the reason I bought was because I liked a fast car! But after driving it a year while there I thought the best thing to do was to trade it off that way it wouldn’t be offensive to anyone.
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The point of the scripture is that we’re a part of the Lord’s church which is a spiritual kingdom and we need to act like spiritual people by growing in righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual matters should far outweigh what we eat, what we drink, and many other things.
We’re spiritual and a part of a spiritual kingdom and should act like it instead of splitting hairs over things that won’t mean anything when we get to heaven.
III. WE MUST DO WHATEVER LEADS TO PEACE
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
ILL.- A preacher I know began a new ministry with great excitement because he had moved from a small town ministry (about 1,000 town population) to a different church in a city of 50,000. He was excited because of the potential for greater growth in the church.
Things started out well with his new ministry (as most do: the honeymoon phase) but it wasn’t long before there was trouble in the flock. The church had a worship leader who selected the song service each week, arranged the musicians, and planned all special music programs for the church.
But in no time the worship leader wanted to tell preacher what he should do based on the music program, what sermons he should preach, etc. It appeared that the worship leader wanted to run the show without any input from anyone, including the preacher.
It was almost inevitable there would be problems. Any time you have one person who wants to “run the show,” so to speak, there will be problems. The worship leader went on a campaign, trying to make the new preacher look bad and get him fired.
Well, you can imagine that things didn’t go well for the preacher and the church and that worship leader. It didn’t take long before there was a problem that got bigger and bigger. The worship leader finally resigned because the elders of the church believed in their new preacher and backed him 100 percent.
Things are going well now but for a while there were some fires raging in that church. Do you know what you’re supposed to do when a fire is raging? Here is what we are supposed to do.
Proverbs 26:20 “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”
You don’t put wood on a fire. You don’t put fuel on the fire! Likewise, when people stop talking and gossiping it will help to put out a fire in the church. In the church we need to work with one another in peace, which means you have to make some concessions. No one person can always have their way about everything. We must be at peace and strive for peace.
Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”
Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
CONCLUSION----------------------
I Dreamed Of Heaven
I dreamed death came the other night:
And heaven’s gates swung wide.
With kindly grace an angel
Ushered me inside.
And there, to my astonishment,
Stood folks I’d known on earth.
Some I’d judged and labeled
Unfit or of little worth.
Indignant words rose to my lips,
But never were set free;
For every face showed stunned surprise...
No one expected me!
Steve Shepherd, Cape Girardeau, MO
shepherd111@hotmail.com
