"do Not Judge" Series

A. According to Lifeway Christian Resources, the most misused VERSE found in the Bible is: “DO NOT

JUDGE.”

1. The Bible talks a lot about JUDGING, but the verse they had in mind was what Jesus taught at the

close of His Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged”- Matthew 7:1.

a. It sounds pretty straight forward, doesn’t it?

b. It must be, because we’re reminded of Jesus’ words all the time by Christians and non-Christians

alike.

ILLUSTRATION:

You talk to a co-worker about his excessive drinking and he says, “Don’t judge me!”

You approach a fellow-Christian about FLIRTING with another man’s WIFE and he says, “Do

not judge or you’ll be judged.”

The elders go to a church member committing ADULTERY urging her to repent and return to God and her family, and she quickly rebukes them, “Don’t judge me! Only God can judge.”

2. Now, it is true that God is the SUPREME JUDGE of all.

a. 2 Corinthians 5:10- “For we must ALL appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one

may receive what is due him (HER) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

b. Only God will make the final JUDGEMENT whether one will be SAVED or LOST—that is not

my JUDGEMENT CALL and it’s not yours.

3. However, this does mean that we cannot make JUDGMENT CALLS concerning one’s BEHAVIOR,

ATTITUDE, or TEACHING.

a. In fact, in this same chapter of Matthew 7 Jesus tells those gathered on the mountain side listening

to His sermon to “Watch out for false teachers”- v. 15.

b. And then He said, “You will recognize them by their fruit”- v. 20.

COMMENT:

Jesus said that we can determine if one is a FALSE TEACHER by their “FRUIT”—by their LIFE and TEACHING. You can’t do that without making MORAL JUDGEMENT.

B. We will be taking a DEEPER LOOK at this verse and the verses following to see what Jesus is actually

teaching about JUDGING others.

1. I realize that this MESSAGE is not well received by a SOCIETY that believes that one should NOT

IMPOSE any definition of RIGHT or WRONG on anyone else.

ILLUSTRATION:

If you say that it is WRONG for a MAN to LEAVE his WIFE for another WOMAN, there will be those who believe that you cannot make such a JUDGEMENT CALL. “Who are you to tell someone with whom he can or cannot fall in love?”

If you say PROTESTERS are WRONG to break into someone’s BUSINESS and LOOT from them, there will be those who will say, “It’s not WRONG if you are trying to bring to LIGHT the

INJUSTICES in America.”

Sadly, today’s CULTURE teaches that there are no ABSOLUTES—everything is RELATIVE.

2. But isn’t it interesting that those who often BELIEVE THAT, change their PHILOSOPHY rather

quickly when someone does them WRONG?

ILLUSTRATION:

There is a Christian philosopher named J.P. Moreland who goes to various college campuses to SPEAK. About 5 years ago he went to the University of Vermont, and was INVITED by a

Christian Men’s Group on CAMPUS to speak at one of the DORMS.

He talked about some of the MORAL TEACHINGS of Jesus and the Christian faith, but there was one young man who constantly DISRUPTED him with sarcastic COMMENTS and QUESTIONS. Finally, the young man said, “This might be RIGHT for you, but neither YOU nor JESUS can FORCE your BELIEFS of RIGHT or WRONG on my LIFE.”

As Dr. Moreland was leaving, he walked past this student and snatched his SMART PHONE out of hand and started walking out the DOOR. The young man protested saying, “You can’t take my phone!” Dr. Moreland replied, “You’re not going to FORCE on me the BELIEF that STEALING your PHONE is WRONG, are you?”

3. Now, obviously, it is TRUE that Jesus does say, “DO NOT JUDGE..”

a. However, this is not a BLANKET COMMAND that eliminates JUDGEMENT of any kind,

because that would CONTRADICT what the Bible teaches elsewhere and even in this very same

CHAPTER.

b. Always keep in mind that when you STUDY Scripture to do so within the CONTEXT it is

written—what came BEFORE it and what came AFTER it.

COMMENT:

Remember, in this CONTEXT Jesus is preaching His Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this sermon Jesus is addressing the HYPOCRISY of the Pharisees. They were SELF-RIGHTEOUS religious leaders who were QUICK to JUDGE others whom they felt did not LIVE UP to their

STANDARDS.

MESSAGE:

I. WHEN NOT TO JUDGE

A. When judgement is HYPERCRITICAL- Matthew 7:1-2 (READ).

1. The Pharisees had the tendency to JUDGE without getting all the FACTS.

a. They became FAULT-FINDERS and NIT-PICKERS, especially when it came to Jesus and His

FOLLOWERS.

b. On one occasion after, again, being JUDGED by the Pharisees for VIOLATING the Law of Moses for HEALING a man on the Sabbath, Jesus said to them in John 7:24- “Stop judging