“don’t Judge!” Satan's Tool To Shut You Up!

“DON’T JUDGE!” Satan's Tool to Shut You Up!

Mt. 7:1

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Did you hear about the Redneck who called Butterball’s Thanksgiving Turkey Talk-Line to tell the operator he’d cut his turkey in half with a chain saw and wanted to know if the oil from the chain would adversely affect the turkey.

2. A disappointed woman called Butterball’s Thanksgiving Turkey Talk-Line wondering why her turkey had no breast meat. After a conversation with an operator, it became apparent that the woman’s turkey was lying on the table upside down.

3. A toll booth operator answered the phone one Thanksgiving Day. The woman on the line wanted to know the road conditions on the turnpike. After the operator said everything was A-okay, she told him that a friend was coming for dinner. Then came the stumper. “If my friend just left from exit twelve,” she asked, “what time should I put the turkey in?” (Turkey Timer!)

4. “Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”—Jim Davis.

B. TEXT & THESIS

1. I want to talk about the subject of “Judging” this morning. The issue of Gay Marriage has become a focal point of controversy in America and Christians have attempted to join the national conversation by expressing their beliefs.

2. The LGBT response to Christians has been an unusual one: quoting Scripture!

3. The Bible DOES say we’re not supposed to judge:

a. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" Matt. 7:1.

b. "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another" Rom. 14:13.

c. "But you -- who are you to judge your neighbor?" James 4:12.

4. So it looks like Christians are really out of step when they speak out on culturally sensitive points.

5. So we’re going to look at: a. Our Culture’s Perception, b. What the Bible says about Judging, and c. Publicly Speaking Your Beliefs.

6. The title of this morning’s message is, “Don’t Judge?”

I. OUR CULTURE’S PERCEPTION OF GAY MARRIAGE

Everybody from Hollywood to Washington D.C. have expressed their support for gay marriage. The Supreme Court’s sidestepped it, the President’s endorsed it, and state laws are thrown out every week. 61% of Republicans under age 30 favor it. Even people with Christian backgrounds bristle at any opposing comment. Case in point:

A. IGNORING THE WORD

1. Dan Haseltine, lead singer for Jars of Clay, said in a Tweet, "I don't particularly care about Scripture’s stance on what is 'wrong.' I care more about how it says we should treat people." he said. “[Resistance to gays marrying] feels akin to women's suffrage. I don't think scripture "clearly" states much of anything regarding morality.”

2. THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE!

a. Either the Bible IS the Word of God, the unchanging standard by Almighty God whom we’re to fear and obey, or it’s not. If it’s NOT the Word of God, then let’s jettison this whole religious aspect of our lives and live for pleasure and for ourselves.

b. But if the Bible IS the Word of God, then there’s a heaven and a hell, there’s a Judgment Day coming where we’ll all stand before God and be judged by God’s Word. If that’s true, we must pay careful attention to what it says!

3. The Bible does speak to the issue of Homosexuality:

a. Under the Law of Moses, the practice of it received the death penalty (Lev. 18:22; 20:13). It’s called “indecent” and a “perversion” in Rom. 1:26-27. It’s called “wicked” & “detestable” in Gen. 19:4-7.

b. Paul In 1 Cor. 6:9 says, “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” The Greek word used here, “arsenokoitai,” has no other meaning than “homosexual.” So Homosexuality is specified as a sexual behavior that will exclude one from heaven. Used again in 1 Tim. 1:9-10.

4. The only legitimate sexual relationship is of one man and one woman committed to each other for a lifetime. Jesus said, “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female…and the two will become one flesh’?” Matthew 19:4-5.

5. ADAM & EVE -- HUMOR

a. Q. At what time of day was Adam created?

A. A little before Eve.

b. Q: Why was Adam created first?

A: To give him a chance to say something.

c. Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?

A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

B. GENDER CONFUSION

1. There’s a lot of gender confusion today, but there doesn’t have to be. If God made you a male, then be a male. If God made you a female, then be a female.