Judge Not Series

The Great Commission

Part 17 – Sermon on the Mount – Judge Not

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION TO SERMON

† The Sermon on the Mount – The Beatitudes

† We are the Salt, staying pure with God’s Holy Word

† We are the Light, showing that Word to the World

† Hate is same as murder

† Lust the same as adultery

† Divorce, Oaths

† The Law of Love, Giving

† How to Pray

† Fasting

† Treasures in Heaven

† Worry & Anxiety

INTRODUCTION

Matthew 7:1 – 5 Judge Not

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.

I. Do not judge, that you may not be judged.

This statement by Christ has to do with verses 25 through 34 where Jesus was speaking against worry and anxiety.

The idea is that God may permit poverty to test His Child, but fellow believers are not to err, as Job’s friends did, and believe that the trial is a judgment for secret sin.

As well, the word “judging,” as used here, covers every aspect of dealing with our fellowman.

We tend to condemn others, as Job’s friends did to him.

Jesus said, “I did not come into the world to condemn it, for it is already condemned, I came to save it.”

a. What types of judging is there.

i. There is punishment according to your deeds.

1. The parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7

2. Jesus’ parable of the farmers in Matthew 21:33-41

3. Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30

ii. There is punishment according to your sin.

1. The wages of sin is death in Romans 6:23

2. No one is justified by the Law, but found guilty. Galatians 2:16; 3:11

iii. Judgments here and now.

1. Judgments on Satan, Adam and Eve.

2. Judgment on Cain.

3. On Israel (40 years wandering)

4. On Eli’s house.

iv. Judgments later.

1. The White Throne Judgment.

All of those judgments have to do with compensating for a wrong against God.

It is not our place to repay for sins against God.

In Islam, Allah is the God who can’t punish.

Allah requires judgment to be taken out on those who sin against him, I guess because he can’t do it himself.

But God says, “Vengeance is mine,”

So we are not to “Pay back for evil”, either against us as children of God, or against God.

But there are two types of judging which has nothing to do with Punishment that we are supposed to do.

In the cases we discussed, one would take the place of God in handing out punishment for wrongs committed, and that is NOT our place.

We are not to condemn.

We are told to bless those that curse you.

But in the next two examples, we ARE to judge, not by handing out punishment for wrongs, but by using the Spiritual Gifts the Holy Spirit has given us, correcting ones path.

This is WHY God has given us these gifts, to BUILD UP and STRENGTHEN the Body of Christ.

REMEMBER – A judgment can be a punishment, correction, OR a blessing.

Punishment is to be handed out by God alone.

Heaven or Gehenna (the final hell) will be handed out on judgment day.

Both judgments, one reward, one punishment.

But correction and blessing is where he Body of Christ comes in, doing everything in love.

b. What type of judgment are we supposed to do?

i. We are instructed to judge ourselves.

1. This does not mean to punish ourselves; this judgment is for correcting our path. To ensure as Jesus says that our “eye” is on the correct path this leads to God, or obedience. (Matthew 6:22-24 the light)

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

Faith is the path our eye needs to be focused on.

Faith is that narrow path that leads to life Jesus told us about;

Matthew 7:12-14

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.